Big Brother Newsies Style!
by Dakota-Jones
Summary: Imagine the show Big Brother- only, with our own newsies stuck in the house! How would 12 of our favorites fare with each other if they'd never known each other and had to fight for their right to stay? Modern-day fic! COMPLETED
1. Meetings

AN: Time for some humor, people! Big Brother, Newsies Style! Here's a list of the newsies that I will be using in the house:

Jack, David, Race, Kid Blink, Mush, Skittery, Specs, Dutchy, Snitch, Bumlets, Itey, and the all-powerful Spot! I am starting from the assumption that these boys don't know each other yet, and this is modern day, and the boys are teenage, not adult.

And guess who the host and narrator is? That's right…the all-evil Sarah…but she'll get hers, trust me…

Another thing I'll need suggestions on- how do you feel about slash? I've never written it before…so I'll leave it up to you…and it would be tasteful slash, for all you people who are worried…

Lines within the chapter denote next day, line of *'s denote diary room entries. Got it? Good.

There will be lots of chapters- I'm not sure how often we're going to 'kick off' a newsie. Probably every other chapter or so. And which newsies are 'kicked off' is going to be mostly up to you, or up to events in the household. Also, I want your suggestions on challenges and house competitions! This is gonna be fun…

Dutchy 

            I walked into the house along with 11 other guys my age, gripping my duffel bag close to me as my mind raced. Was I crazy? What was I thinking when I let my friends get me into this? I was quite possibly the shyest, least social boy from all of Chicago, and I was volunteering to live with 11 total strangers?

            I made my way from room to room and finally found a bedroom, throwing my duffel bag down on one of the beds. We had been instructed not to speak until official introductions in the main room, but I got a good look at the people occupying the two other beds in the room.

            The first was a short boy with light brown hair and silvery-blue eyes, and a quite scrawny frame. He looked up and sneered at me, and I quickly looked at the next person, not wanting to make someone mad in the first five minutes. His attitude certainly made up for his physical intimidation factor.

            The next boy was taller and more built. He was tanned and had black hair that seemed to fall into his eyes just about every two seconds, and gave me a pleasant smile. I smiled back shyly, hoping that he would continue to be as pleasant as he first seemed. 

            "All guests, please report to the sitting room." The host said, her high-pitched voice booming over the intercom. I walked slowly to the large room and sat down on the couch. Soon all twelve of us were gathered in the room, and the narrator's voice came on once again.

            "Welcome, house guests."

            All of us mumbled our hellos, feeling equally stupid talking to a voice coming from the ceiling.

            "My name is Sarah, and I will be leading you through your time here in the house. To start, each of you is going to stand up and tell us your name, where you're from, and the most important hobby you have."

            Sounded simple enough. No big deal.

            "But we're also going to start you off with a twist."

            Uh oh.

            "Based on your profiles that you sent us, we have assigned each of you a nickname. We will not explain the nicknames- over your time in the house, you should be able to figure out the reasons. These nicknames will be assigned one at a time as you introduce yourself, and you will only be allowed to call the others by their nickname."

            I swallowed hard. What did they mean by 'nickname'. What kind of nickname?

            "You may begin. Go in order from right to left."

            We all looked to the boy on the right, a boy with glasses and unruly brown hair. He sheepishly stood and cleared his throat.

            "My name is Andrew Anderheim, and I'm from Little Rock, Arkansas.I guess my most important hobby would be reading and writing." He said, his voice soft but steady.

            The narrator immediately took over. "Andrew, your name for your time spent in the house will be Specs. Next?"

            He sat down, a few snickers going through the room as the next boy stood. He was one of my roommates, the one that had scared me to death. He glared around the room, and then spoke with a loud voice. "The name's Patrick. Patrick O'Keefe. I'm from Brooklyn, and my main hobby is beating up kids that piss me off. Got it?"

            He sat back down, and the narrator hesitated before speaking. "Patrick, your name shall henceforth be Spot."

            'Spot' leaned over to Specs and whispered, "What's 'henceforth'?"

            "From now on."

            "Oh. I knew that." He looked up in a sudden flare of anger. "SPOT?! What's the big idea?!" 

            The host sighed. "Next, please."

            The next 'victim' stood up, a boy with dark skin and brown, curly hair that looked incredibly soft. He looked like a really nice guy, and he smiled shyly.

            "My name is Thomas Meyers, and I'm from Hope, Kansas. My hobby is botany."

            Spot snorted. "What da hell is botany?"

            "The study of plants." Thomas said quietly, looking almost hurt.

            "Thomas? Your nickname is Mush. Next."

            Mush blushed deeply and sat back down as the boy next to him stood up. He looked just about like a pirate wanna-be; he had a brown patch over his left eye.

            "My name is Trent Thompson, and I'm from L.A.. I'm an actor."

            The narrator seemed relieved to have Spot silent for once. "Trent, your name will be Kid Blink, or just Blink, for your time in the house."

            Blink sat down and the next boy stood; a confident looking guy with brown hair and a bandana tied around his neck. "I'm Jack Kelly. I'm from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and my hobby is horseback riding."

            "Jack, your nickname will be Cowboy."

            Jack smiled and sat down, and I realized that it was my turn. I slowly stood and looked around, trying to concentrate on keeping my voice steady. 

            "Hi…my name is Chris Anderson. I'm from Chicago, and my hobby is painting."

            "Chris, your name will now be Dutchy. Next!"

            I smiled as I sat down. I had mentioned that I was proud of my Dutch heritage, and Dutchy was a whole lot better than what it could've been.

            A younger boy with short black hair stood up next to me. "My name is Peter Kent, and I'm from Seattle, Washington. My hobby is soccer."

            "Peter, you will now be known as Itey."

            A boy with crystal blue eyes and brown hair stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt as he did so. "My name is David Jacobs, and I'm from Houston, Texas. My hobby is studying."

            One again, Spot couldn't help but comment. "Studying? Yeah, right."

            The host ignored him. "David, your nickname will simply be Davey."

            A taller boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes stood. "I'm Jason Mitchell. I'm from Providence, Rhode Island, and my hobby is basketball."

            "Jason, from now on, your housemates will call you Snitch."

             My other roommate stood now, and he still had that warm, pleasant smile on his face. "My name is Darien Warkan, and I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. I'm a dancer."

            Spot snorted, but let the narrator speak. "Darien, you shall now be Bumlets."

            Darien broke out into a huge grin as the next boy, a short boy with dark brown hair and equally dark eyes stood. "My name's Carson Tanner, and I'm from Las Vegas. Needless to say, my hobby is gambling."

            "Carson, your nickname will be Racetrack, or just Race."

            The last boy stood, a tall, handsome boy with unruly light brown hair and hazel eyes. He seemed very careful, and very hesitant, but he finally spoke. "My name is Michael O'Konnor, and I'm from New Castle, Indiana [1]. My hobby is speech and debate…and band."

            "Really? What do you play?" Davey asked, and received quite a few 'you're crazy' looks. 

            "I play soprano saxophone."

            Spot snorted for just about the third time. "Brass clarinet." He muttered, snickering.

            The narrator cleared her throat. "Um, boys? Shut up!" she exclaimed, and even Spot shut up. "Michael, your name will be Skittery for your time in the house."

            He sat down, and a silence stretched for a few seconds. "House guests…you are free to explore. Your first food competition will begin at four o'clock, and you should report to the backyard at three thirty. Have fun!"

            With that, the intercom switched off, and we were left to talk and explore on our own…

1: Okay, I couldn't help it. That's a shout out to all my homies, however few of you there are, cause this town is really small and it SUCKS!

AN: Hehe…This. Is. Going. To. Be. Fun! I'm sorry if I made Spot a little too bitchy…just yell at me if you think I should tone him down. I just thought it would be fun to have his personality that extreme. And give your opinions on the slash thing!


	2. Challenges

AN: Onward with the story! Thanks to all reviewers!

Blink

            I headed to my room, eager to unpack. I shared my room with four other guys- the ones called Race, Itey, Mush, and Specs. They seemed like pretty nice guys- it was Spot and Cowboy that worried me. They seemed a bit too…cocky. It just irked me on some level.

            But then, a lot of people just irk me on some level. After all, I am an actor.

            We unpacked mostly in silence, except for Itey and Specs, who were having a quiet conversation on their side of the room. Then, after a few minutes, Race revealed a deck of cards and a tray of chips.

            "Poker, anyone?"

            Everyone in the room agreed to a quick game of poker before we had to go to the competition, and Race began dealing out hands like a pro. 

            "So what's everybody's reasons for coming into this little corner of paradise?" Race asked.

            I shrugged. "Hey…any chance to be on TV, you know?"

            We all looked at Itey. "I just thought it might be fun."

            "I came in on a dare." Specs said, studying his cards carefully. "My friends bet I wouldn't last past week five. I've got people betting on that back home."

            Race laughed. "Good for them. Glad to know people in your city have got their cards straight."

            Mush looked up, realizing it was his turn. "My family wanted me to come. I figured it couldn't hurt to just try it, since we really do need the money back home." 

            "What about you, Race?"

            Race threw some chips on the stack. "I'm just here to win, boys. Just here to win."

            "Aren't we all?" I asked, at least getting everyone else to laugh.

            A few hands later, and much losing later, Specs pointed out that it was almost three thirty. We headed for the backyard, finding everybody else already there. I sat down in a lounge chair, waiting for that extremely annoying voice to come on and tell us what to do.

            I did notice one thing- there were small, circular platforms set up in a pathway across the swimming pool, and another row across the yard. Two rows were set up all the way across the water, and that worried me. 

            "Hello, house guests."

            We all said hello to 'Sarah', and she giggled.

            "It's time for your first challenge. This challenge will determine the head of household for the week- in other words, the person who will choose the two nominees for eviction. Also, this is your first food competition. If you win, groceries will be delivered to the house for the week. If you lose, you will be eating nothing but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the whole next week."

            That certainly received a reaction. I mean, I wasn't a big fan of PB+J, but there were probably some people here who absolutely hated it.

            "Here's the challenge." Sarah started, and the platforms in the pool suddenly lit up, revealing a row of 'false' and a row of 'true'. "Each of you will answer questions about a certain housemate by stepping on 'true' or 'false' with each answer. If you're right, you're asked the next question. If you're wrong…"

            Suddenly one of the platforms dropped down into the pool. If someone had been standing on it, they would be swimming for their lives right now.

            "There will be six questions for each of you. In order to win the food half, at least five people must make it all the way across. For head of household, the people who do make it across will have a separate challenge. Does everyone understand?" 

            We all nodded. 

            "Good. We will go in alphabetical order by nicknames. Which means that Blink goes first."

            I stepped up to the edge of the pool, my back to the others as I wondered just how cold that water was. _Only six questions. You can do this. Only six questions._

"Blink, your questions will be about Mush. Remember, you are not allowed to speak, nor are the others. Are you ready?"

            I nodded. Mush was the kid from Kansas that studied plants. And I was an actor from L.A.. Oh, shit.

            "Your first question. True or false: Mush comes from a town with a population of less than 300."

            I didn't doubt it. I mean, the kid liked plants! I stepped carefully onto the true, hearing a sharp intake of breath behind me. But nothing happened.

            "Question 2. True or false: Mush has a strange obsession with Shakespearean literature."

            Definitely not. I mean, towns of less than 300 probably didn't even have a library. I stepped onto the false, and nothing happened once again.

            "Question 3. True or false: Mush has never been kissed."

            No brainer there. I knew he was blushing even though I couldn't turn around and look. I stepped confidently onto the true platform, and it didn't move.

            "Question 4. True or false: Mush has eight siblings."

            Now how was I supposed to figure that one out?! I did a quick toss up in my head, and stepped on the next true, expecting it to drop out from under my feet. But, it didn't.

            Eight siblings?! Poor kid…

            "Almost there! Question 5. True or false: Mush is adopted."

            I stepped on the false. Nothing.

            "One more! True or false: Mush has an aviator's license, and his own Cessna."

            Oh, God. This one was off the wall. Maybe that's why I decided it had to be true. I hesitated, and then confidently stepped on the true platform. And it didn't move. I jumped onto dry land on the other side, pumping my fist in the air in a silent 'victory gesture' as I sat down in one of the lawn chairs on the other side.

            "Congratulations, Blink. That's one point toward normal food. Bumlets, please approach the pool. You will be answering questions about Spot."

            Bumlets stepped up to the pool, looking a bit apprehensive. I mean, if he answered wrong, not only would he disappoint his housemates, but Spot would murder him.

            "Question 1. True or false: At one time, Spot had a Mohawk."

            Bumlets chose true, and he was correct. I rolled my eyes, trying to imagine Spot with a Mohawk.

            "Question 2. True or false: Spot's father is in the Marines."

            Bumlets stepped to false, and nothing happened.

            "Question 3. True or false: Spot has two younger sisters."

            Bumlets took longer on this one, but eventually chose true. And he was right.

            "Question four. True or false: Spot is an A B honor roll student."

            Bumlets stepped on false, and quite suddenly, the platform dropped out from under him and he fell into the water. Spot burst out laughing, but the rest of us weren't quite so amused. And personally, I thought anyone would've picked false on that one.

            I stepped forward and helped Bumlets out of the pool, realizing that the water was freezing cold. I would've been really pissed off if I'd missed one.

            "Cowboy, you're next. Please approach the pool. You will be answering questions about Itey."

            I found a towel by the poolside and wrapped it around Bumlets as Cowboy prepared to make his way across. Cowboy proceeded to actually get all of them right, and Davey was up next. He looked pretty confident when Sarah told him that he'd be answering questions about Skittery.

            "Question 1. True or false: Skittery is adopted."

            Davey didn't even take time to think about it. He stuck out his chest and stepped onto 'false'- and was promptly dumped in the pool.

            Dutchy and Itey both continued the failing tradition, and then Mush broke the losing streak by answering all the questions about Cowboy correctly. That resulted in a sigh of relief. 3 down, 2 to go. And with 5 people left to cross.

            Race fell in on the second question about Dutchy, and Skittery stepped up to take his turn. He was going to be the one answering questions about me.

            "Question 1. True or false: Blink lives with just his father."

            True. Pick true, Skittery. He hesitated a moment, then it was as if my psychic message had gotten through- he stepped onto true.

            "Question 2. True or false: Blink is openly gay."

            Hell, no! If he stepped on true, he could say goodbye to his next birthday…but, luckily, he didn't. He immediately stepped onto false.  

            "Question 3. True or false: Blink spends his summers in Australia with other relatives."

            True. And once again, he got it. This guy was either a genius or psychic.

            "Question 4. True or false: Blink plays the trumpet in the school marching band."

            Um…no. Let's just say that the peripheral vision required for marching is nonexistent with a patch over one eye. And luckily, Skittery figured that out. I guess band kids know their own kind when they see them.

            "Question 5. True or false: Blink has a fetish for Broadway musicals."

            Yeah…I admit, it's true. And when he got it right, I wasn't sure whether I should take that as a compliment or an insult.

            "Last question…true or false: Blink once appeared in a movie with Jackie Chan as a stunt double for another leading actor."

            I grinned broadly, glad that Skittery couldn't see me from where he was. That grin would've given it away. He stood there for at least a minute, and then stepped forward onto true. I shook hands with him as he came off on the other side, proud that somebody could manage to get that far with stuff they couldn't possibly know. Well, except for the whole 'gay' thing. I mean, that had to be obvious…right?

            But Snitch and Specs both ended up in the pool. And that left our food situation in the hands of Spot, answering questions about Davey. If he didn't make it, then we would be eating PB+J for the next week.

            Oh, God. May as well start saying goodbye to veggies right now.

            "Question 1. True or false: Davey is the number one runner on his track team."

            I thought it would be false, but to everyone's surprise, Spot stepped on true and ended up being right.

            "Question 2. True or false: Davey is a vegetarian."

            Once again, Spot surprised us by getting it right. It was false.

            "Question 3. Your host, Sarah, is Davey's sister."

            Skittery and I looked at each other with the same startled expression. Who would wanna be that bitch's brother?

            Spot shrugged and stepped on true, and he didn't hit the water. We all looked at Davey with wide-eyed glances, and he just rolled his eyes.

            "Question 4. True or false: Davey is openly bi."

            Spot didn't even hesitate. He practically took a flying leap onto the 'true' platform. And nothing happened. I shuddered in disgust, hoping no one else noticed. We all certainly noticed Davey blushing as deep as a tomato.

            "Question 5. True or false: Davey has a cousin who works in the White House."           

            False. Again, Spot was correct. There was a chance we could actually win!

            "Last question, for the win. True or false: Davey has already been in the diary room and admitted that he already has a crush on a fellow housemate."

            Shee-ite. [1] If that were true, I'd be climbing out the window and running very, very far away tonight.

            Spot made his choice. He picked true.

            Looked like I'd be climbing out that window.

            Spot stepped onto dry land, puffing his chest out and beaming as if he'd just won the Olympics. We all congratulated him, and then those who were not in competition for head of household were told to step aside. It was me, Cowboy, Mush, Skittery, and Spot in contention for head of household.

            "For head of household, you will all be answering questions in general about your fellow housemates. When you get a question wrong, you are out of contention. Please pick up the 'true and false' signs on the table."

            We each picked up a double-sided sign and stepped up to the yard platforms as they lit up, and dividers slid up between the platforms so we couldn't see each other.

            "Question 1. True or false: At least three housemates admitted to keeping a diary at home diligently." 

            No way. I held up false.

            "Blink and Skittery, I'm sorry, you're wrong. The answer was true. Please step down."

            I stepped down to where the others were and turned to watch. It didn't really mean that much to me, so I wasn't really disappointed or anything.

            "Question 2. True or false: Over five of the housemates hold down school and a full time job."

            Mush, probably just from being plain naïve, got it wrong. Now it was down to Spot and Cowboy.

            "Question 3. True or false: There is one housemate among you who has an extensive criminal record."

            Spot was the only housemate I could think of that may have a criminal record- and he was up there, so they wouldn't have asked. It had to be false. Spot agreed with me, holding up false, while Cowboy went out on a limb and said it was true.

            And he was right.

            "Congratulations, Cowboy. You are the new head of household. Tomorrow evening at seven, you will announce the nominees for eviction, and at eight, we will have another competition to see who will hold the power of veto. Thank you and goodnight."

[1] Shee-ite…my parents don't approve of cussing, so this is a substitute my friends and I use for 'shit'. Couldn't resist…it just sounded good there.

AN:  Just review!  


	3. Impressions

AN: Alright, a little confusion about the food competition…five of them made it across, so that means the _whole house_ gets to stay on normal food, not just the people who made it. Now that that's cleared up…

Oh, and none of you have yet guessed who has the extensive criminal record…surprisingly, it's not Snitch…so keep guessing! Hehe, I'm evil!

This is what I'm going to call a 'diary room' chapter- where each of the house guests gives their take on what's going on before we move on to the next big event. It's a chapter where we just sit back, read their minds, and point and laugh.

Spot 

            God, these people were annoying me already. And I'd only been in the house one day. Especially the one called 'Cowboy'. He was just way too egotistical, and I knew I would be one of the two that he nominated for eviction. 

            There were, of course, those few that I just didn't trust. I mean, I couldn't tell a single clear thing about them, and that bugged me. Those had to be Skittery, Snitch, and Kid Blink. Well, that was kind of a lie…Blink was one of those 'actor' people. Need I say more?

            Then there were the shy boys who you could just tell weren't cut out for the social scene. Dutchy and Specs…wasn't that a pair made in heaven. They would be off in corners discussing literature and art the whole time, knowing those bookworms.

            Then we had the overly nice guys. They weren't too bad to be around, they were just…too nice. Bumlets and Mush represent that group here. They weren't any kind of threat to me unless I got nominated with one of them for eviction- then I'd definitely be the one kicked out.

            There were the outcasts that didn't quite fit into any of the groups- Racetrack for one. I didn't trust that swindler any further than I could throw him. But I could throw him, you know, I'm stronger than I look, and…well…anyways…And Itey. The kid. The tag-along. He was going to find a role model- probably Cowboy- and stick to him like glue. 

            And, of course, the preps. Cowboy and Davey. Oh man, I already couldn't wait to have them out of the house. Davey was just a plain annoying prick, and I was surprised Cowboy could fit through that door with a head as big as his.

            But I did know one thing. I was going to win. I had to win. I mean, was there any other guy in this house that could match me? No. Not a chance.

Specs 

            I was not happy. I had been saddled with a nickname, locked into a house with eleven absolutely insane people with obviously no appreciation for great literature, and dropped into a freezing cold pool all in the same day. Why in God's name did I let my friends talk me into this?!

            It was very unnerving to know that there were cameras all over the house. In every hallway, in every bedroom, hell, even right outside the shower! I'd already hated being in front of a camera at family reunions, but now every single move I made was being watched by thousands of people all over America?!

            I wasn't going to survive one week, let alone eleven.

            However, there were a few people that I didn't really mind. At least not yet. I mean, Bumlets and Mush didn't seem that bad, and neither did Dutchy.

            On the other hand, Spot was scaring me. I was gonna have nightmares about that kid for a month. 

            I just wanted to go home…

Itey 

            I felt like ducking into a closet somewhere and staying there until I was evicted. Some of these people were so aggressive that it was making me ill. I had a pretty laid back family, and I just couldn't imagine living with these guys for eleven weeks. 

            Maybe a good strategy would be just to stay in the woodwork. Just sit back and watch everybody else duke it out and not make a target of myself. Yeah…I'dtry that. I definitely didn't want to put myself in the crosshairs of Spot by sticking out.

Mush 

            The things I do for my family. I mean, this was crazy. I didn't belong here. My little brothers and sisters were going to be watching me spend day in and day out with these people? Did I even want them seeing these people at all? Hopefully mom and dad would record and censor what they watched…  

            I didn't want mom and dad watching this either, on second thought. They had already expressed that they didn't want me doing this, but did I listen? No. I had to be my stubborn self and go into this. 

            I couldn't move a centimeter without thinking about all those cameras. It was bad enough knowing my family was watching, but the entire United States?

            This was gonna be harder than I thought…

Davey 

            He was so cute…I mean, who could resist that amazing, flyaway blond hair, or that gorgeous crystal blue color of his eyes? Well, eye, anyway. And an actor! Oh, I was dying right here, right now. He was so drop dead sexy. I mean, how often do you meet a stunt man who's just as good looking as the leading man? This had to be my lucky day.

            But he wasn't gay, and probably not bi, judging by his reaction to finding out that I was. That was a…small obstacle.

            Anyway, I didn't much like the other people in the house. Spot was just plain mean. As soon as I get the chance, I'm going to get him out of here.  The same for Cowboy.

            Skittery's very handsome, but…he scared me. Along with Snitch and Spot. They all scared me. I immediately made a mental note to avoid them. Dutchy and Specs seemed to be okay guys, just too quiet. Probably bookworms.

            Mush and Bumlets…now those were nice guys. Of course, Mush came from a town where everyone knew everyone and they don't even have a movie theater, so being a 'nice guy' was to be expected. Bumlets was just…well…naturally nice, I guess.

            But they didn't seem to mind me. Things had gotten off to a pretty good start, anyway. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I originally thought.

Cowboy 

            I had no competition. None at all. Everyone else had something about them that could be pointed out that was bad except for me. Ready for examples?

            Spot is just a bitch. Mush is far too feminine, over sensitive, and naïve. Blink…he's an actor. That speaks for itself. Davey was a fag. Dutchy was a wayward painter- he would probably spend the whole time 'getting in touch with his inner self'. Specs was a smart-ass who had his nose in a book and not in the game. Itey was the tag-along. Bumlets was just too nice, and that would come back to haunt him. Snitch was the quiet athlete, but far too closed off. Racetrack was a gambler, and he'd be taking undue risks the whole time. Skittery…he was just odd. Creepy. Shady. He just gave me the creeps. A freak, in other words.

            And me? I was Cowboy. Mr. Head of Household. And I held their first-week fates in the balance. I had already decided who I was going to evict, there was no question about that. It was as clear as the fact that I was going to take home that $25,000 dollars.

Racetrack 

            It was like a card game. Keep on your poker face, don't show your hands, and watch everyone else to find out what they're holding.

            Everyone else most likely thought that Spot and Cowboy were the biggest threats in the house. See, that's where they messed up. Spot and Cowboy would both be out of there by week five; I'd bet my life savings on that. The real threat came from Mush and quite possibly Dutchy. Maybe Specs. The quiet ones.

            The ones you wouldn't notice until they were standing over you with the knife, ready to slit your throat.

            They get rid of Spot, Cowboy, and then anyone else who _sticks out_. They don't even realize that they've left the 'nice guys' in a position to boot your ass right out the door.

            So what's the real strategy here? Kiss up. Make nice with the 'nice guys', so that they won't want to boot you out. Make an alliance that no one will notice or care about.

            Until it's too late. Until I'm the one standing there, boot ready to kick your ass outta this house.

Skittery 

            Nobody could figure me out. And that's the way I wanted it.

            Cause they would have me out of the house in the first week if they knew anything.

            Ah, tis life.

            I wondered who Jack would put up for nomination. If he was the superficial guy inside that he posed as on the outside, then I was in no danger. He'd nominate someone like Spot. All I had to do was sit back, sip on a soda that I pretended was a tequila, and watch the first week go by without incident.

            It was starting the second week that I should worry. Cause I could just tell, right now, that nobody trusted me. Not a single person here. Well, except for Mush maybe, but he didn't count cause he was just so sweet and innocent that it was sickening.

            All these cameras were making me nervous. I never had liked cameras, but having them there even when I stepped out of the shower [1], that was just torture.

            I knew I probably wouldn't make it has week three. But I was here, and that was quite enough in itself.

Blink 

            Okay, the day was just about over, and Davey was creeping me out. I seriously wanted to set his hair on fire to make it clear to him that staring is _not socially acceptable_. I mean, anything to get on camera, but this? Having a gay guy making eyes at me all day?

            I DON'T THINK SO!

            Okay, okay…calm…calm…damn it, I couldn't wait for the nominations. If he went up for eviction, my vote would be in before anyone else's. Forget alliances, forget strategies…I couldn't stand him! 

            On to other things. With the exception of Spot, everyone else seemed to be agreeable enough that I could stand them for as long as I was here. I think everyone else agreed with me that Spot had to go…he was just insane.

            Possibly Skittery. He was hiding something, I knew it. Maybe he was the one with the 'extensive criminal record'. On the other hand, I'd rather not know. 

            Just survive. That was all that I wanted. It hadn't started that way, but with the new developments…oh, God…_my dad was watching a GAY GUY hit on me!!!!!!!_

            Okay…time to go get sick… 

Dutchy 

            I needed to scream at the top of my lungs.

            They were putting me on edge! Not only was I the only neat freak in the house, but all these people walk around like there are man eating bugs around every corner! The ironic thing was that the only person who didn't seem to be on edge was the one who was called Skittery! Messed up…just plain messed up.

            You know, when I first came, I had a strategy. Now I couldn't even remember what it was. It didn't matter after meeting all these guys.

            Now I was hoping that they would just kind of ignore me.

            I spent the evening with Race today. He seemed like a pretty nice guy, despite my first impression that any gambler wasn't to be trusted. He was just really open and really nice. Maybe I would make a couple of friends here.

Bumlets 

            Why did I have to be so nice? My brother told me I was opening the door for people who were going to let it swing back and hit me. He had to be right. A few of these people didn't have a nice bone in their bodies!

            I actually sat down and talked with Skittery, and he didn't seem as bad as I had thought. He was actually a very intelligent, well-spoken guy. Mush didn't seem so bad, and I could just tell Dutchy and Specs were gonna be okay people. But Racetrack…I didn't know if anyone else was sensing it, but I was just getting a bad vibe from the time he introduced himself. Maybe it was just me.

            And what was everyone's problem with the fact that I danced? Did being a dancer automatically make you a pansy? If we were going by stereotypes, then Blink would be gay. And I could tell you with no trouble that he most certainly is not. But then again, I had a friend who has homophobic- until he met Bobby. You get the picture.

            Oh, well. I'd be living by stereotypes for the next eleven weeks, so I'd just have to get over it.

Snitch 

            I would much rather be on the court, playing basketball. I mean, who would want to be locked up with _these_ guys?

            But then again, $25,000 dollars. I mean, come on. Who would pass up that chance?

            I didn't trust any of these guys. Not even the naïve sweetheart of the house- I'm sure you all knew who that was- was in my area of trust. For all we knew, he was plotting something.

            Hell, what was I talkin' about? That kid probably couldn't 'plot' to save his life. And he smelled good. Evil plotters don't smell good…I think. 

            Anyway…just forget it. I seriously needed some sleep if I was giving thought to how someone smelled.

[1] Oh, yes. I said 'Skittery' and 'shower' in the same sentence. Yummy…

AN: Okay…next chapter, nominations are made, and the veto power is given…oh, God, poor Blink…I can't stand Davey either…he just irks me. Then again, I'm an actress…everyone irks me. Aw, I'll make a deal…I'll shut up if you review!  


	4. Nominations

AN: Okay, I'll admit, I've been treating Davey pretty bad. I'm sorry to all you Davey fans out there, but the truth is that I just flat out don't like him…never have…and any story I write I'm going to bash him to a certain extent. I'm holding back in this one, and I hope I haven't gone too far already with the Davey bashing…anyways…moving on…

HA! _Someone_ who reviewed guessed right about who has the criminal record. I'll give you lots of virtual hugs from my muses when it is revealed.

Also, in this chapter we will begin to see some of the friendships forming from the movie. You know, the classics- Mush and Blink, Specs and Dutchy…time to start getting our boys in their 'alliances'.

Time for the nominations- and time to hand out the power of veto. Have fun reading!

Mush

            "So…you were really in a Jackie Chan movie?"

            Blink raised an eyebrow at me as he threw a slice of turkey onto his sandwich. We were the only two in the kitchen, eating a late lunch after a morning poker game, and I figured I may as well make conversation.

            "Yeah, I was."

            Awkward silence. Oh, geez, I hate those things. "What's it like in L.A.?"

            He sat down on the stool beside me at the breakfast bar, seeming to have lost his appetite a bit. "Dirty. Loud. Hectic. I could go on for hours."

            "Go ahead…we've got plenty of time to spare."

            Blink looked up at the clock. It was two o 'clock, and nominations were at three. "Not before nominations we don't."

            He began eating at an alarming speed, as if he thought the sandwich was going to melt through the plate. I poked around at my carrots, knowing that mother had told me to eat my veggies and…well…there was a camera right there. And for all I knew, they could air this conversation, even though it was pretty boring right now. I shoved a carrot into my mouth, cursing the cameras the whole time.

            "Who do you think he'll nominate?" I asked. Blink thought for a moment, actually taking a break from the sandwich.

            "I don't know."

            "Well, you have an idea."

            "And how would you know that?"

            "I just…do."

            He took another bite, and swallowed before speaking. At least he wasn't a city boy with _no_ _manners to top it off. "I think he'll nominate Spot. Definitely. And I'm thinkin' the other spot will go to either Davey or me." He explained, lowering his voice to a whisper._

            I nodded. "I think you're right about Davey and Spot. But why you?"

            He just shrugged and took another bite, finishing off his sandwich and turning to look me in the eye. "I'm just getting vibes, I guess. I don't know."

            "Well, if it came down to it, I wouldn't vote you out against Spot. Believe me."

            He stood up and slapped me on the back, practically knocking me out of my stool. "Thanks. Nice to know I've got one friend here." He started out, but stopped in the doorway, turning around to look at me once again. For a moment he just stood, and I began to get uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

            "You're okay, you know that? You're okay."

            With that, he turned and left, leaving me to wonder just what he meant by what he said.

Snitch

            Soon we were all sitting around the table in the main room, and on the table sat a box with nine keys in it. Cowboy had his key around his neck, the people whose names were in the box were safe, and Cowboy held a brown bag that contained the keys of the two people up for nomination.

            I guess I shouldn't have been worried, but I was.

            Cowboy cleared his throat and began to speak. "As you all know, as head of household, I must choose two people to nominate for eviction from the house. I have chosen those two strictly by the game. Nothing personal. I just picked the two people who I thought weren't here to play serious and hard. So…here goes."

            He reached forward and pulled the first key out of the box, reading the name printed in large, black letters on the side. 

            "Blink…you're safe."

            Suddenly, across the room, I caught a strange glance between Mush and Blink as we passed Blink his key. Had an alliance already been formed that I didn't even know about? What was that look supposed to mean?

            Nobody else seemed to notice, and Cowboy pulled out the next key.

            "Itey…you're safe."

            Itey reached forward and took his key, a smile on his face.

            Next key. "Snitch…you're safe."

            Whew, was that a load off. Unless I got vetoed in, I would definitely make it past week one. It felt so good to put that key around my neck.

            Next key. "Bumlets…you're safe."

            No surprise there. Next key.

            "Mush…you're safe."

            Something was going on here, I could tell. Every time a person was named as being safe, Blink and Mush gave each other this look. It was like they had a bet going or something. But right now, I didn't care. I was safe, and they could bet all they wanted.

            Next key. "Skittery…you're safe."

            No emotion shown there. He simply took his key, throwing it around his neck and leaning back.

            Next key. "Dutchy…you're safe."

            All that was left were Specs, Race, Davey, and Spot. I could see this a mile away.

            Next key. "Specs…you're safe."

            Down to three. But Race didn't look the least bit nervous.

            Next key. "Last but not least…Race, you're safe." Cowboy waited for this to sink in, and then spoke once again. "As is obvious, I put Spot and Davey up for eviction. Spot…you're just too aggressive. Nothing personal, man, just protecting my investments. Davey…well, I had to pick someone. Nothing personal."

            He took the box and bag back to the nomination room, and the rest of us headed to the front hallway to hang our keys up under our pictures- where they would stay until we were nominated and ultimately evicted.

            Spot stormed off to the backyard, and I didn't doubt he was going to stay there until the veto contest tonight. Nobody in their right mind would bug him. Davey was still sitting in the main room, putting his feet up on the table as he began to sulk.

            But I was safe. And I could only hope to stay that way.

Race

            The day went by pretty quickly- I just mainly kept to myself as some people celebrated while two others fumed. Cowboy seemed pretty proud of himself, and that just made me not like him even more. He didn't realize what kind of danger he'd put himself in by nominating the two most aggressive and moody players in the house at the same time. No matter who got evicted, the other would be out to get him and probably have the guts to do something about it.

            When time came for the veto competition, Davey, Spot and Cowboy sat out- because of their respective positions, none of them could hold the power of veto.

            "Hello, houseguests."

            "Hello, Sarah." We all mumbled in unison.

            "We're going to play a game, houseguests, and the last person standing will hold the power of veto." Sarah began. "I must ask all of you to get in a circle, shoulder to shoulder, facing toward the center."

            We did as we were told, and I ended up with Skittery on one side and Dutchy on the other, waiting on Sarah to continue the explanation.

            "We're going to play a game called 'murder'."

            Oh, joy. 

            "The object of this game is simply to live…and to act well when you die. In a moment I will ask all of you to close your eyes, and Cowboy will walk around the outside of the circle twice. While doing so, he will tap one person on the shoulder, and that person will be the murderer. When I tell you to, you will open your eyes and begin moving around the backyard. Just walking. The murderer will wink at those he wishes to kill. If he winks at you, you are to die the most dramatic and loud death you can come up with. If you think you know who the murderer is, and he hasn't killed you, then you just accuse him. If you're right, he must die. If you're wrong…you must die. In order to win, you must either be the last person standing, or you must correctly accuse the murderer. Does everyone understand?"

            We all nodded.

            "Good. Everyone…close your eyes. Cowboy, choose the murderer."

            For at least a minute, nothing was heard but Cowboy's soft footsteps on the grass, circling our group twice, as ordered.

            "A murderer has been chosen. Contestants…open your eyes and begin walking."

            I opened my eyes and moved, looking carefully at the people around me. _Just like a card _game_, I reminded myself. _Someone's cheating, and you've just got to look at their face to know_._

            A shriek burst out from behind me, and I spun around just as Itey went into violent death throes and collapsed to the ground. The murderer had already gotten one.

            No, make that two. Cause Blink suddenly stumbled and fell forward onto me, sounding as if he couldn't breathe as he slid off me to the ground. If I didn't know better, I'd think he really _was_ dying.            

            "I accuse Skittery!" Bumlets suddenly yelled out, and Skittery smiled, but then he shook his head. Bumlets laughed as he pretended to tie a noose, and then proceeded to hang himself.

            Suddenly Dutchy stumbled, doubling over as if he'd been stabbed in the gut, and with a strangled cry he fell- dead.

            Okay, okay, think…Skittery isn't it, so who's left? Specs, Mush…that was it! Cowboy was probably dumb enough to choose someone that obvious!

            Just as I opened my mouth to accuse Mush, Specs screamed behind me, obviously being attacked by some kind of animal. And slowly, his cries fell dead.

            "Mush is the murderer!" I accused, and at first I thought I may have been wrong just from the sweet, innocent look on Mush's face. But, ever so slowly, he formed the shape of a gun with his hand and raised it to his temple, shooting himself with a pull of the 'trigger' and dropping to the grass. I high-fived Snitch as everyone stood up, coming back to life, in effect.

            "Congratulations, Racetrack. You now hold the power of veto. Which means that you can choose to replace one of the nominees with another housemate, excluding Cowboy, since he is head of household. You alone have the power to take either Davey or Spot off of the chopping block."

            Oh, shit. My mind had been so far in the game that I forgot what I was playing for… 

AN: Next chapter, we find out if Race uses the power of veto. And, if we're lucky, the eviction will be in the next chapter too.

Oh, and by the way, we played this game at a theater camp that I went to this summer, and it was a blast. You should get together with your friends and try it! It's great coming up with the most gruesome and loud ways you can think of to die...and scaring the next-door neighbors to death…I'm evil, aren't I?


	5. Criminal or Savior?

AN: Okay people…time to see what Race does with the power of veto! I won't keep you with my insane ramblings…just read on!

Specs 

            Only five more laps, and then I could quit. I pushed off the side of the pool, taking a deep breath before going under and swimming across the pool again. I finished my five laps and noticed Dutchy sitting beside the pool, rolling his pants up to his knees and dropping his feet in the icy water.

            "How many laps today?" he asked. I'd been out here every single morning starting things off with a swim, and every morning he came out at just about the same time to relax before another full day.

            "Fifty. I'm takin' it easy."

            I jumped out and sat down beside him on the edge, and he scooted away from me to avoid getting dripped on.

            "You think Race will use the veto?" I asked him, resisting the urge to shake out my hair and soak him. 

            "Don't know. What do you think?"

            I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one else was outside or within earshot. "I think he might put up Cowboy. Maybe."

            For a moment he was silent. Then he suddenly laughed.

            "What's so funny?" I asked, and he shook his head.

            "It's hard to believe it's been four days already. It's gone so slowly…feels more like a year."

            "Yeah. I'm almost getting used to the cameras."

            "Really?"

            "No."

            He laughed again, looking down into the water. "You know, for the past two days, I haven't seen Mush without Blink. And visa versa. What do you think is going on there?"

            "I think they hit it off."

            "Do you think…"

            I looked at him, waiting for him to finish the sentence. "Think what?"

            "Nah. I mean, Blink's not like that."

            "Hey, there's always a chance that he just had to run into the right person." 

Just as Dutchy opened his mouth to speak I heard the door to the house open, and Snitch walked out onto the porch.

            "Are you two gonna eat breakfast?" He asked.

            "Yeah, we'll be right there." Dutchy said, but as he stood up and started to roll his pants back down to his ankles, my mischievous streak took over. I reached up and shoved him forwards into the pool, and the look on Snitch's face made me _glad_ that there were cameras all over- that picture would be worth a thousand words. 

            Dutchy came up, gasping for air and coughing on the water at the same time. At first he stood there in the pool, shivering and looking as if he had gone into shock. Then, with a glare of absolute maliciousness, he reached up and grabbed my arm, yanking me back into the water right as I was starting to get warm again. 

            Snitch just shook his head and went back inside, probably thinking we were completely insane. I swam to the edge and jumped out, reaching down to help Dutchy out- but I just ended up getting yanked back into the pool headfirst.

            "You're insane. This water is freezing!" He said, his teeth chattering as he pulled himself out. I jumped out and grabbed two towels, throwing one to him and just smiling.

            "It's your new wake up call, Dutchy."

            "I'm not coming near you when you're in there anymore!"

            We walked back into the house, ignoring the strange but amused looks from the other guys who were gathered around the table eating breakfast. I quickly dried off, changed, and joined them right before Dutchy came in, having changed into dry clothes.

            "Did you two have fun?" Cowboy asked in-between bites of scrambled eggs. Really bad scrambled eggs at that. I glared at him, and he let that question die.

            "Who cooked this shit?" Spot asked, pushing it around his plate as if it were still alive.

            "_I_ cooked this shit." Snitch said, obviously not caring that it was absolutely awful. "You guys told me to cook. You didn't bother to ask if I could."

            "Can anyone here actually cook?" Racetrack asked

            "I can." Skittery said, as if it were no big deal. For a moment, I thought he had to be joking.

            "You can cook?" I asked in disbelief.

            "I work in a restaurant every summer. It's part of my parole deal. I had to take a chef's course last year to get promoted."  

            Complete silence. Skittery just went on eating, oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at him.

            "Parole deal?!" Bumlets finally burst out, and Skittery shrugged.

            "Yeah. I'm on parole."

            "What did you do?" Dutchy asked, losing interest in dissecting his food.

            "I stabbed a guy."

            Oh, holy shit. Why did the Lord have to do this to me? All of us looked at each other with the same expression of absolute shock, but Skittery didn't even pay it any attention. At least we now knew who had the 'extensive criminal record'.

            Skittery threw his fork down on his plate, completely calm. "So, do you want me to cook lunch today or what?"

            "Um…sure. We'll give it a shot." Davey said after another moment of anxious silence.

            "I'll need someone to help me out."

            Oh, sure. He just admitted to stabbing a guy and he wants someone to be alone with him with an arsenal of knifes in his hands? Not happening. Hell, no. 

            "I'll help out." Racetrack said, starting to gather plates up. He had to have a death wish or something. 

            "Thanks, Race." Skittery said before throwing his plate in the sink and heading for the backyard. The group peeled off one by one, leaving just me and Dutchy sitting at the table.

            "Remind me not to annoy Skittery." He said to me.

            "I don't think you'll need a reminder. I'm gonna remember that pretty damn well."

Race 

            I don't know why I volunteered. Maybe I didn't want to look like I was afraid of him. Maybe I felt sorry for him now that no one wanted to be around him. Or maybe it was my subconscious telling me that this was a guy I needed to suck up to. Whatever the reason, I was in the kitchen at 11:30, ready to help him with a half hour of cooking a gourmet meal for the house.

            "Okay, just hand me things when I ask for 'em. And whatever you do, don't get your hand near the cutting board or it might get chopped off. Got it?" he asked, and I nodded. He leaned back against the counter and thought for a moment, and then looked at me and said, "How does grilled salmon and chicken with a side of steamed veggies sound? Maybe some broiled seafood soup…and buttercream chocolate layered cake for dessert…what do ya think?"

            I had no idea what he was talking about, but salmon sounded good, and no one in the house (as we found out) was against seafood. "Sounds good."

            Skittery started rattling off a list of things he needed, and I scrambled to gather what he asked for. I noticed that a few curious houseguests- Cowboy, Blink, Mush, and Dutchy- had gathered in the doorway to watch him cook. 

            Skittery was concentrating on the cooking, and soon had twelve cuts of salmon on the grill- all at the same time. His hands moved so fast from one to the other that it was impossible for me to keep track of how many times he'd flipped that one, or how cooked the other one was on the underside- but he kept track of it somehow. And while the salmon were still grilling he starting chopping the vegetables and set the soup to boil, often having one hand flipping a chunk of salmon while the other one sliced through a whole row of veggies. 

            I could see why he wanted me to keep my hands back. That knife was moving so fast I was afraid he would cut off his own fingers.

            Now we had a real audience. Almost every house guest was gathered in the kitchen, watching with abated curiosity as he flipped the salmon off the grill and onto the plates on the other counter- literally, flipped. As in they flew _through the air_ and landed on the plates two counters away.

            "Hey, Itey…if you're gonna stand there, put on some gloves and wrap that salmon in foil so it stays warm." Skittery said, and I handed Itey a pair of vinyl cooking gloves.

            Skittery chopped up the chicken and threw it on the grill, and then put the vegetables in a hot frying pan and poured the soup into bowls. He handed the stacked bowls to Blink, who quickly distributed them to the table settings.

            "Salt. Pepper. Now." Skittery ordered, flipping the vegetables in the frying pan with one hand while he used the other to salt, pepper, and flip the chicken- that had to be a world record: Three utensils in one hand and a frying pan in the other.

            "Hey Cowboy?"

            "Yeah?"

            "Get outta my line of fire unless you want to get smacked in the face with chicken that's heated to _350 degrees!"_

Cowboy jumped aside, leaving the 'line of fire' from one counter to the other open. Skittery proceeded to use the spatula as a catapult, firing chicken straight onto the plates. 

            He carried the vegetables to the plates, dishing out equal portions onto each plate. Then he shoved a box of aluminum foil into Mush's arms, telling him to wrap the plates so the food didn't get cold before lunch. With that, he cleaned up what he'd already used to cook the meal, and set to work on dessert.

            Within thirty minutes he had twelve meals prepared and a cake in the oven, and he set a plate at each table setting and poured us each a drink. I was anxious to try the food, cause it sure as hell smelled good. I carefully unwrapped my plate and started eating.

            "Skittery…this is awesome!" Blink said, cutting off another bite of salmon. I had to agree with him- this was some of the best food I'd ever had in my life. And I live in Las Vegas, home of some of the best restaurants in the world.

            "Ok, people, it's official…we can't vote out Skittery. I'm not voting out someone who can cook like this." Snitch said, and we all laughed. It had been a joke, but even if he were serious, I would've agreed anyway.

            "Well…not sure how much I can do with PB+J sandwiches." Skittery said, back to his mild-mannered self. While he was cooking I could've sworn he was a different person, with how he took charge and all.

            Skittery stood up from his meal to go take the cake out of the oven, and he immediately touched it up and stuck it in the freezer to chill it and then he came back and sat down.

            "That should be ready just about the time we finish." He explained.

            "Skittery…did you really stab someone?" Mush asked after a minute or so, his voice quiet.

            "Yep."

            Mush seemed nervous about saying anything else, but he obviously couldn't resist. "Why?"

            Skittery shrugged. "He had a gun. If I didn't stab him he was gonna shoot me."

            "So why didn't you plea self defense?" I asked.

            "Technically it wasn't, since he hadn't actually pulled the gun on me yet. I was thinking ahead."  

            That was a load off. At least he didn't stab the guy in cold blood. Maybe the court system didn't agree, but if someone had a gun anywhere on his person and I thought he might use it, I would stab him too. To me, that was justified. Maybe he wasn't as bad as we thought.

            "So you're the one with the criminal record?" Itey asked.

            "Guess so." Skittery answered, standing up and heading for the freezer.

            "What else did you do?" 

            Skittery pulled the cake out and seemed to be thinking. "Um…assault…domestic disturbances…theft…disturbing the peace…resisting arrest…and arson. I think that's all. May have missed one."

            Okay, I was wrong. He _was_ as bad as we thought. Maybe worse. But at least he was honest.

            He set the cake down on the table and sliced it expertly, putting a slice on each plate. I tried a bite of it and just about died right there.

            "What is this?" Spot asked, this time not in disgust, but in amazement.

            "It's chocolate and buttercream layer cake, topped off with chocolate fudge and chunks of Hershey's kisses."

            I was in torn emotions here. The guy was a criminal on parole, and for that I wanted him out of the house. But he was cooking the best food I'd ever had in my life, and I didn't want to give that up. Oh, the decisions…but I didn't have to worry about it this week.

            "House guests?" 

            The sound of Sarah's voice made us all jump, and I finished the last bite of my cake as she continued.

            "It's time to meet for the veto meeting."

            Oh, yeah. We'd forgotten about that. I could blame it on the food, I guess.

            We made our way to the main room, and I stepped into the nomination room and got the brown bag.

            "Okay, people…I have the power of veto this week. Which means that I could save Spot or Davey from the possibility of eviction."

            I took a deep breath before tightening the strings on the bag. "But this week, I forego that power. I am not vetoing anyone."

            I could practically feel the tension in the room shoot sky high as I turned and walked back into the nomination room, putting the bag back in its place.

AN: Next chapter- the eviction. Who will be leaving the house?


	6. 1st Eviction

AN: Time for the votes and the eviction. Who's leaving? Spot or Davey?

Mush 

            There I was, in the eviction room. I had to pick the greater of two evils, and though I knew who I was going to pick, I wondered why I cared so much.

            If I were in my right state of mind, I would've picked Spot. I knew I should've. But Blink was just going insane with Davey hanging on his every word, and I could tell that fur would fly if those two were left together any longer. Of course, the same was true of Cowboy and Spot, but at least Spot wasn't hitting on Cowboy. 

            It's a no brainer, but it's making me think far too much for being so simple of a decision. I mean, I'm known for being nice to people, but he would never know who I voted for. So why did I feel the need to help him get that guy out of the house?

            I chose Davey for eviction.

Skittery 

            Hard decision. I mean, really. One was the most annoying whiner in the world, while the other was overly hot-headed. I wanted them both out, but I could only pick one. Oh, well…I guess I'll go by the alphabet or something.

            Sorry, Davey. If only your name started with Z.

Race 

            Okay, time for another stupid decision that I shouldn't even have to make. This was bogus. Why couldn't we just evict both of them? That would make the whole world a better place. No, wait…it would make the house a better place, and the world would be worse off cause then _they'd_ have to deal with them.

            I guess I could live with Spot. That aggressive streak could come in handy in the next food competition. Who wants to live on PB+J for a whole week?

            I chose Davey. Like I always say, nothing personal. It's just good for the game.

Snitch 

            I don't really care. They're both good candidates for being kicked out, and one way or another, we'd have a little more peace in the house.

            There was an easy way to do this- pick the one that was causing the most problems right now, and not worry about next week. And that person would have to be Davey. I mean, he's a nice enough guy, but he just got off on the wrong foot in this house.

            Maybe it would be best for him as well if he got kicked off. He was absolutely head over heels for Blink, but anyone could see that that wasn't going anywhere. Anytime Davey came around Blink looked as if he wanted to jump off the nearest bridge, and Mush was the only thing holding him back. Maybe getting kicked would let Davey have time to recover from the infatuation.

            My apologies, Davey. Just saving you a whole lot of heartbreak anyway.

Specs 

            Spot had to go. That was the only thing I could think of. Sure, Davey was annoying, but Spot was kinda scaring me, even more than Skittery was. And Skittery was the one with the record!

            This was going to be really close. No one had any idea what the outcome was going to be. It could go either way, but my vote was staying right where it was.

            I chose Spot for eviction.

Blink 

            Please, get Davey out of here!!!

            I didn't even have to think about it. I could live in a house with ten gazillion Spots in total peace as long as I didn't have to deal with Davey. 

            I definitely chose Davey for eviction.

Itey 

            I was very glad that no one would see my vote. I was afraid Spot would hunt me down and kill me or something if he knew I voted for him. Davey had been pretty nice to me all along, but Spot had been downright mean. He treated me like a little kid.

            I stayed out of the whole situation with Davey and Blink. My mom would get very mad if she knew I got involved with something like that- something that wasn't really my business. 

            So I just went by my instincts. I chose Spot for eviction.

Dutchy 

            I asked Specs who he was nominating. I figured that since I couldn't decide, I'd just go by whoever he thought should leave. And I guess I agreed with him. Spot had been pretty rude all along.

            So that's what I went by. I voted that Spot be evicted.

Bumlets 

            I honestly didn't feel like I had the right to vote. I didn't know these guys well enough to be kicking them out quite yet. But I had to vote someone out. And I figured that I may as well vote out the one I hadn't liked from the start.

            I chose Spot for eviction.

Cowboy 

            It didn't matter who got evicted, I'd still come out on top. I could probably put on a blindfold and point and it wouldn't matter who it was I pointed at for eviction.

            But as long as I had the chance, I may as well pick the one that I liked the least. And I was kind of enjoying the whole thing with Davey and Blink- I wondered where it would go if I left him in. So I picked Spot.

            Nothing personal, man.

Eviction Day… 

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hello, Sarah."

            "The votes are in. One person had been chosen for eviction. And since there was a tie, I will tell you that I myself have cast the deciding vote."

            Oh, this was rich. She wouldn't vote out her own brother. Spot was definitely out of the house.

            "Davey, you are hereby evicted from the Big Brother House."

            Davey's jaw dropped to the floor, and I think everyone else's did too. She had voted her own brother out of the house?!

            "YOU'RE MY OWN SISTER!" Davey shrieked, jumping to his feet.

            "I am the host of the house, and I have made my decision. You may exit the house now."

            "I was gonna share the money!" Davey pleaded.

            "No you weren't."

            "Yes I was!"

            "No, you weren't!"

            "Yes I was!"

            "GET OUTTA MY HOUSE!" 

            Davey whimpered and scurried over to grab his bag, shaking hands with everyone- even Blink. He stared at Blink for a moment, and then sighed heavily, one hand on the doorknob.

            "You're really cute. Tell me when the wedding is for you and Mush. I'll bring a gift."

            Blink and Mush were too stunned to reply as Davey walked out and closed the door behind him. And then, everyone except for those two started laughing hysterically.

AN: Hehe…please review…I live on reviews…I'll keel over if I don't get enough…well, not really, but you get the point.

Also, the next chapter is a very special chapter. Sarah will be interviewing one family member of each of the housemates, getting their scoop on what they think about what's gone down. And let me tell you…some of these people have really strange relatives…


	7. Family!

AN: Special chapter! Whoo hoo! Time to meet some very interesting people…

Sarah

          I didn't want to interview their dumb family members. It was a waste of time. I mean, what could they possibly have to say that would be interesting?

          "Camera's on in ten, Sarah! Goin' live!"

          "Got it!"

          I sat down and straightened my skirt, and then ran my hands through my hair once before the red light came on. Then I put on my best smile for the camera.

          "Hello, I'm Sarah, the host of the household. Today we have special visitors- one family member of each houseguest is going to come in and talk with us about what has happened in the house so far. So let's get started with Spot's father, Mr. Aaron O'Keefe."

          The door opened and Mr. O'Keefe walked in, his suit perfectly pressed and his tie straight to a 'T'. He shook hands with me and sat down, and I looked at my question card.

          "Welcome, Mr. O'Keefe. How have you been?"

          "Fabulous. My son's been _here, remember?" _

          I laughed politely, though I didn't find that funny at all. "So what do you think of how your son has handled things so far?"

          He laughed again, a deep, hearty laugh. "I think he's done horribly. That's why I sent him here. No socializing skills whatsoever."

          "Really?"

          "Yes. Maybe getting put up for eviction in the first week will bring him to his senses."

          "What do you think of the other houseguests?"

          "Well, on that point, I have a question for you, Sarah."

          Oh, shoot. Why'd they have to get creative? "Okay."

          "Can I just take Mush home instead?"

          That _was_ funny. I couldn't help but laugh on that one. He snickered, and then continued. "No, but really, I think most of them are very nice young men. I'm hoping he comes out of this with at least a few new friends."

          "Well, thank you for coming, Mr. O'Keefe. I wish your son luck in the house."

          "It was a pleasure, Sarah." With that, he stood up and walked out the door.

          Okay. Smile big from the cameras, look at cue cards to see who's next.

          "Next we'll be having Dutchy's mother, Elizabeth Anderson."

          Elizabeth walked in, her long dress flowing around her. Her long blond hair was partially pulled up, and she was really very pretty, in a natural sort of way. She smiled and sat down, looking a bit nervous.

          "Hello, Elizabeth. How have you been?"

          "It's been strange, Sarah…not having him in the house, I mean."

          "I can imagine. What do you think of his performance in the house?"

          She thought for a moment, watching a clip on the TV screen behind us of Dutchy sitting in the kitchen with Specs and Bumlets, laughing hysterically as Bumlets _tried_ to cook dinner. "I think he's done great, honestly. He's a sweet kid, and being in there didn't change that. I'm kind of nervous about him being in there with them."

          "And what do you think of his relationship with Specs?" I asked, pressing a button on the arm of my chair to change the clip. Now it was the pool scene- the morning where Specs had pulled Dutchy into the pool.

          "I think it's great that he has a new friend in the house."

          "Do you think it might become more than friends?"

          I changed the clip to show a non-aired scene from earlier today- Dutchy had been teaching Specs how to paint, and somehow it had turned into a paint war that they eventually even dragged Skittery and Mush into. 

Elizabeth bit her lower lip, but then her face turned determined. "No way. He's not a homosexual. There's no way."

"Thank you for your time, Elizabeth."

"You're welcome, Sarah."

She walked out, and I turned once again to the cue cards. "Next we'll be having Blink's father, Baron Thompson."

He walked in the door, and I was amazed at how young he looked, for being the father of a teenage boy. I could see where Blink got his good looks.

"Hello, Mr. Thompson. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Sarah."

"That's good to hear. So what do you think of your son's performance in the house?"

He was positively beaming as he answered that question. "I think, under the circumstances, he's done amazingly well. He usually can't hold his temper that well."

"And what about the other boys in the house? What do you think of them?"

His expression turned serious. "Well, of course, there's a few I wouldn't mind having as my own son, and there are a few others that I wonder how they've survived this long."

"And what about Mush?"

He snorted. "What about him?"

I couldn't believe he was skirting around this issue. "He and Blink seem to have become very close in the first week alone. Are you comfortable with that?"

"I'm sure they are just friends and will remain as such._ My son is not a homosexual_."   

          Okay. Avoiding that issue. Moving on… 

            "Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Thompson."

          "My pleasure."

          He walked out, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I looked at the cue card. "And next we have Itey's mother, Anne Kent."

          Anne walked in, and I was shocked to see that she was sobbing hysterically. She dragged herself over to the chair, collapsing down into it as she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears off her face.

          "Are you alright, Anne?" I asked, leaning forward and putting a hand on her shoulder.

          She nodded, blowing her nose. "I'm fine."

          "Well…what do you think of the house so far?"

          She started to cry all over again. "My poor child, in that house…with those awful boys!"

          I was at a loss for words as she continued to sob. Then she slowly pulled herself out of it, forcing a weak smile. 

          "Do you think he's done well so far?" I asked gently, and her smile became genuine.

          "Yes. I have a brave little boy." 

          With that said she started crying again, and a stagehand came and escorted her off. I looked back at my cues, trying to hold my 'camera smile' steady.

          "And next, we'll be having Bumlet's older brother, Toby, joining us."

          The door opened and Toby entered, and if I didn't have an extreme degree of self control, my mouth would've been hanging open. What a hottie!

          "How are you?" I asked him as he sat down.

          "I'm pretty good. Just looking out for my little bro here."

          I giggled. Not a good idea on camera- it probably looked pretty stupid. "So what do you think of his performance in the house?"

          "I think he's a smart kid. He knows what he's doing. And that's coming from the guy who tried to convince him not to go!"

          "What about the other house guests?"

          "I think a few of those guys need to get their head screwed on straight. There's some pretty strange people in there."

          "I'll agree with you there. Thank you for your time, Toby."

          "No prob. Anytime."

          I took a deep breath as he walked out, trying to get a reign on my emotions. I quickly read off the cue card. "Now we welcome…all the way from Hope, Kansas…Mush's twin sisters, Linette and Ashley!"

          They were not your typical girls- they were both in jeans and flannel shirts and boots, looking ready to go off and do a rodeo. But other than that, they looked like supermodels. 

          "Hi, girls. How are you?"

          Linette (they were wearing name tags for me) laughed and smiled big. "We never thought we'd actually want him to come back so soon, but now we've had to take over all his chores!"

          "Yeah, and you'd never believe how much work that kid did in one day on the farm." Ashley pointed out.

          "So do you think he's handled the house well?" I asked.

          They looked at each other and shrugged. "Yeah, we think he's doing as well as can be expected so far." Linette said.

          "What do you guys think of his relationship with Blink?"

          Ashley took this one. "It's great that he's made such a good friend so soon. We didn't really expect Blink to be the one he attached to, though."

          "Do you think there could be more to their relationship than friendship?"

          Linette shook her head insistently. "We come from a strictly Lord-fearing family. He's smart enough to not fall into that pit of sin. He'd go straight to hell!"

          "Okay…thank you for coming in. I know it's a long way from your home."

          They smiled and left, and another cue card was held up.

          "Next up is Racetrack's uncle, Marc Tanner."

          Marc walked in, looking very casual. He didn't seem phased at all by the cameras- but then again, from what I understood, he worked in a casino. So cameras shouldn't bother him.

          "Hi, Marc. How are you?"

          "Never been better!"

          "Well, that's nice to hear. So what do you think of how Race has handled the house?"

          "He's a natural, Sarah. He definitely knows his way around these head games!"

          "And what about the other boys in the house?"

          "Aw, they're goners. He's gonna take this like a sour poker game."

          "It's nice to hear such confidence. Thank you for sharing your opinion with us!"

          "Of course."

          Wait for him to exit, read the cue card.

          "Now we have Specs's little sister, MariAnne, waiting to talk with us."

          A young teen entered the room, full of energy and with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. I could tell she was excited to be on TV.

          "So how have you been?"

          "I'm great!"

          "Well, don't you miss your brother?"

          She snickered. "He was always in his room reading anyways. It's barely any different when he's gone."

          "So what do you think about the house?"

          "I think it's great for him. He needed to get out and do something like this."

          Man, this girl was opinionated. "And what about the other house guests?"

          "Oh my god, some of them are soooo cute! I'm just about jealous of him!"

          "And what about his relationship with Dutchy? Does it bother you that they're this close after only one week?"

          She laughed and shook her head. "Naw. Dutchy's awfully handsome. If I can't have him, my big brother may as well! If you're allowed, tell him I said to go for it!"

          "But…your other family members say he's not gay."

          "He says he's not, but I think he's just hiding it. One of those people who don't know they're gay even though everyone else does, you know?"

          "Yeah…I know. Thank you, MariAnne."

          "You're welcome!"

          Oh, God. Thank heaven that one was over. Now I only had 3 more to deal with.       

          "Our next guest is Snitch's older sister, Tiffany."

          She entered and sat down, and I could see practically no resemblance between her and her brother. Except for the eyes.

          "How are you?" I asked, and she shrugged.

          "I'm okay."

          "And what do you think of the house experience so far?"

          "I think he's crazy. I think he needs to get himself booted asap, ya know? This whole deal is insane."

          Wow. What an outlook. I needed to make this quick and get her out of here.

          "And what do you think of the other houseguests?"

          "They're freaky. But I get first dibs on a date with Skittery when he gets booted."

          Okay. She's definitely out of here. "Thank you, Tiffany. We'll be sure to pass that along to him when he leaves that house."

          "Be sure you do!"

          Thank heaven, she was gone. Cue card…

          "And now we move on to Jackson Kelly, Cowboy's father."

          He swaggered in and sat down in the chair as if everyone in this room belonged to him, then he leaned back and smiled.

          "What's up, Sarah?"

          "Um…not much. How have you been?"

          "I miss my son, of course. It's just not the same without him."

          "How do you feel he's handled his first week in the house?"

          "Perfectly, of course. That kid is the most intelligent one in there. I just know he'll be taking home that prize money."

          "And what do you think of the other boys in the house?"

          "None that can stand up to my Cowboy. None at all."

          "Interesting. Thank you, Mr. Kelly."

          "Your welcome, Sarah."

          Back to the cue card, away from the overly egotistical guy. "And last but not least, we have Skittery's aunt, Anastasia Marnique."

          A worn looking middle aged lady entered the room, and she looked downright terrified. Not to mention she wore grungy jeans and a faded black t-shirt. She looked like we pulled her straight out of the slums. Maybe we did; hell if I know.

          "Hello, Anya. How are you?" I asked sweetly as she sat down on the edge of the chair.

          "I'm fine. I'm just fine."

          "You've been following this very closely, haven't you?"

          "Yes. I've been very worried."

          "About Skittery?"

          "No…I'm more worried about the poor kids locked up in there with him."

          Oh…this had to be interesting. "Why is that?"

          She didn't really seem like she wanted to answer that question. "Well…he just…has a lot of problems that need to be sorted out."

          "He seems to have been a very nice young man so far."

          "It always starts out that way. Just wait until someone makes him mad."

          "Do you have any opinions about the other house guests?"

          She smiled, a very small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just love them. All of them. And Mush and Blink make such a cute couple. I'm a psychic, you know. I can tell."

          "Really? You're a psychic?" she nodded. "So what kind of future do you see in store for the house and it's occupants?"

          I didn't actually expect her to answer, but she seemed to have thought this through by now. "I have seen a lot of turmoil. But I have also seen inner strife with love, and romance, eventually. It will be very interesting, to say the least."

          Oh, yes. I knew that by now. Very interesting.

AN: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up- it was hard to write. And goodness gracious, it's long! Anyways…it's two in the morning… I just got back from a concert and stayed up to finish this…….so PLEASE REVIEW!!! I need the support…Also, I'm sorry for any misspellings, because I'm so tired that I didn't bother to proofread it…hopefully it's okay though…* falls over, dead to the world, on her bed *


	8. The Pit of Lava

AN: Okay, this is definitely going to be a fun chapter! It's time for the head of household/food competition, and man, does big brother have plans for our boys…let's just say they're going to get * _closer *  to each other than they ever wanted to._

Snitch

            "Hello, house guests."

            We were sitting in the backyard, and we had been waiting on Sarah to greet us and usher us into this week's food competition. We were a bit nervous, because set up in the middle of the backyard was a huge red mat, and at one end of the mat sat two large tables, a bench, and two small chairs, all piled on top of one another. That couldn't be good.

            "This week's food competition is what we call the pit of lava."

            Oh, great. That was never good.

            "The only way you can cross the mat is by climbing across the furniture. However, as you can see, the furniture is not lined up across the mat."

            Yep. We could see that. It had to be at least 75 feet to the other side.

            "The grass is the only safety. You can, under no circumstances, touch the mat or you will die and you will lose the competition. In order to get across, you must have someone jump onto the furniture from the grass and start lining it up- without touching the mat. Others can join at any time."

            Sounded easy enough. We'd tell the first person where to start, and once they got started, we could start adding more people.

            "But there is a catch."

            Oh, shit. I saw Skittery roll his eyes, and I couldn't blame him.

            "You cannot speak, or make any kind of noise. You may only gesture."

            She let this sink in, and I realized that my plan had been blown. We wouldn't be able to 'say' which way things should go. But this should still be simple enough, right?

            "I have an order that you must go in. If the order is changed before you get onto the furniture, then you will lose. You may change the order once you are on the furniture. The order is: Mush, Skittery, Specs, Racetrack, Snitch, Spot, Bumlets, Cowboy, Blink, Itey, and last will be Dutchy. Please line up in that order now." 

We quickly lined up in the order she named, and I looked at Spot and Racetrack and saw the confidence in their eyes. There was no way we could mess this up.

"Also, as another twist, on your way across I will be negotiating and offering deals to various house members. I cannot elaborate on those quite yet. Are there any questions?"

We looked around at each other, and no one said anything. We were all eager to get started.

"No questions? Then let's begin."

Mush climbed up onto the furniture with a little help from Skittery, and our little game of charades began. He pointed to one of the benches and we all nodded. He grabbed it and dragged it out of the pile, pushing it out in front and stepping onto it. He then pulled one of the chairs to the front, and reached out his hand to help Skittery up.

I realized the mistake they were about to make- we should save the table for a little later, since the two tables were the biggest pieces. But there was no way I could tell them, and they pushed it to the front, and Specs and Racetrack jumped onto the chain of furniture.

It was all working fine until we realized that Itey and Dutchy still had yet to get on, and we couldn't move people forward any further- the furniture up front was full. But we had to empty one of the back pieces in order to move it to the front and continue our slow progression. I motioned that even though Mush was on a very small chair up front, Skittery needed to get on it with him in order to make some room in the back. 

Skittery didn't look too happy about it, but he stepped onto the chair- and almost fell over backwards in his reluctance to get that close to Mush. The rest of us were either snickering or terrified as Mush locked his arms around Skittery's waist and pulled him as close as he could get in order to keep their balance. It would've been quite funny to see them like that if our diet for the next week didn't depend on them staying like that.

Suddenly I realized just what had to be done- if we didn't pack everyone that close to each other, there was no way we were going to be able to get across. This whole thing was depending on the physical contact- how close we were willing to get.

I gently pushed Racetrack a whole lot closer to Specs- their faces couldn't have been an inch apart- and I helped Spot jump onto the bench with us, pulling him forward until he was pressed up against me and then motioning for Bumlets to come on over. It was an extremely crowded bench by the time we were done, but now Itey and Dutchy had room to step onto the last piece. 

Then Blink got a brilliant idea- he laid down facedown on the bench he was sharing with Dutchy and Itey, forcing them to put a foot on either side of him- and then reached out and grabbed onto the table in front of them, pulling their bench past it towards the front. The people from the other pieces of furniture began to help push it along, and eventually, it was at the front. 

"Stop."

We all stopped what we were doing as Blink stood back up, and waited for Sarah to tell us why she had made us halt our progress. It was a bad time to do so- I wasn't enjoying being this close to these people, and I could tell that no one else did. 

            "Racetrack. Time for a deal."

            Racetrack looked up from where he had been studying the line of furniture, and I could tell he wasn't happy about being picked for the first 'deal'.

            "You can either choose to sacrifice one of the houseguests to the fire without losing the competition in doing so, or you can choose to get rid of one piece of furniture. You have ten seconds."

Racetrack looked around at us, but even though we couldn't say anything, he knew what we would want him to do- get rid of a person.

"What is your decision? You may speak."

Racetrack took one more good look at everyone. "I choose to sacrifice Bumlets."

"Very well. Bumlets, fall into the fire."

Bumlets smiled and jumped off the furniture, stepping back over into the grass. Now our bench was much less crowded.

"House guests, you may continue."

Getting rid of a person seemed like a blessing for now, but I had the feeling that Sarah had something up her sleeve for later. You never get something for nothing, and we were only halfway across.

Blink, who was now third from the front with Itey leading, offered Mush a hand and pulled him onto the front bench, and Skittery heaved a sigh of relief, but he only had a few seconds of freedom before Specs was forced to jump across and he ended up in the same position as before to avoid falling. Room was quickly made on the front bench, and Skittery literally _lifted_ Specs across- he had a lot more strength than what he may seem to have. 

Racetrack stepped across and into Skittery's arms- I almost felt sorry for Skittery now. It seemed to have been silently decided that he would help everyone behind him and then take up the rear.

            The chair in the back was empty now- but with our luck, it didn't do any good.

            "Stop. Bumlets, remove the chair in the back and then step up to the next table with Cowboy. I am officially resurrecting you." Sarah said, and we could tell just from her voice that she was grinning.

            Oh, for heaven's sake…that wasn't fair! Now we'd have to definitely squeeze in order to make it across. And it wasn't looking good as it was.

Mush

            We were stuck. Every piece of furniture had lots of people on it, and we needed to have minimal people on it in order to make it light enough to move without pulling ourselves off our own furniture.

            Bumlets suddenly reached down and grabbed onto the next piece on furniture in line- and then proceeded to swing himself underneath it with extreme grace. I was about to have a heart attack when I realized that he was laying on the support brackets on the underside of the table- and he wasn't touching the ground. 

            I suddenly realized that the only way this was going to work was if I got onto the front piece with Blink, Dutchy, and Itey- which was extremely crowded as it was- and then Racetrack could move up in my spot, and somehow Snitch _and _Cowboy would have to both fit on that chair with Skittery. As I explained my plan with a series of gestures, I saw some people with doubts and others with excitement in their eyes- but I eventually somehow convinced them that it just might work.

            Blink grabbed onto my hand and helped me jump from my furniture to his, and I crashed into him, almost knocking him over backwards. He wrapped his arms around my waist to hold me steady, and I almost fell again, my arms automatically sliding around his waist to balance. 

            As Racetrack moved up to where I had been, all I could do was hold on for dear life. At least Blink smelled good- very good, in fact. I don't know what cologne he used, but I didn't mind it at all. We wavered a bit, and I held him so tight that I was afraid I might be hurting him- but it wasn't like we had a choice. Either pain or fall. I laid my head against his chest and shut my eyes tightly, trying not to think about how close we were to falling and not willing to watch as Cowboy stepped onto the chair with Snitch and Skittery and almost knocked them all over.. 

            I opened my eyes when Blink tapped me and moved me forward on the furniture- we now had another piece in front to move on to. My plan had worked, and now we only needed one more piece moved around the line to make it. I was once again moved up and ended up pressed against Blink and Itey, and we formed a kind of 'huddle' to stay upright. The furniture was moved and, one by one, we jumped onto the grass on the other side. Cowboy jumped to safety last, and we burst into cheers, and I tackled Blink in a victory hug and then hi-fived Spot.

            "Congratulations, house guests. You have won the food competition. And as a reward, tomorrow for lunch you get catered by the local McDonalds."

            Boy, was that a relief. It had been so long since I had fast food, and I was ready for something unhealthy. Don't get me wrong- Skittery is an amazing cook, but sometimes you just _have_ to have an ungodly meal. 

            "We have another surprise for you, house guests. In participating in the food competition, you have also decided who will be head of household."

            Whoa. Now that wasn't expected. How in the world could we possibly have decided head of household in all that chaos?

            "For being the first one to figure out the 'secret' to winning- the physical contact, that is- Snitch is the new head of household."

            I noticed the look of total shock on Snitch's face, though I clearly remembered him taking charge and sending Skittery onto that chair with me and packing that bench full of people. This time, I agreed with 'big brother'- Snitch deserved it. 

AN: Okay, short but fun chapter! But just wait until you see the next chapter…it takes place later this very same night, and involves Itey's deathly fear of bad storms…let's just say we get one of those 'bad storms' and the guys feel sorry for him and decide to take his mind off it…


	9. Truth or Dare

AN: Okay, in response to one of my reviewers, no, not every house guest is going to be gay. To make my intentions clear, this is going to be mainly a Blink/Mush and Specs/Dutchy story as far as pairs go, unless anyone else has big objections or has a pair they want to try and convince me of. If so, review and make your case- I'll consider any and all suggestions that I read. I am not some kind of omniscient being that ignores all reviewers- I want to know what you think should happen!

With that done, on to the story…it's nighttime at the house…

Spot

            "I can't believe everyone else is actually managing to sleep through this." Mush said quietly, sitting on the couch and hugging his knees to his chest. Another crash of thunder practically shook the house, and I sighed. I would never be able to sleep if this kept up.

            "Hey, has anyone seen Itey?" Bumlets asked as he walked through, and I shook my head.

            "Why? Can't you find him?"

            "No. I haven't seen him since the storm started."

            I stood up and looked around the room, and then offered to help Bumlets look. I mean, the kid couldn't have gone far. We _were all locked in this house together, after all. Mush stood up and went to check in the bedrooms, while I had a better idea._

            Bumlets hadn't seen him _since the storm started_. That made me suspicious.

            I opened the first hall closet I came to, and lo and behold, Itey was sitting there on the floor. He was hugging his knees close to him and had his head down, rocking gently back and forth.

            "Itey? You okay?"

            Itey looked up at me in surprise, and honestly, he looked terrified. I wasn't sure which he was more terrified of- me, or the storm.

            "I'm fine." He muttered, looking away from me.

            "Then…why are you hiding in the closet?"

            "None of your business."

            Another crash of thunder suddenly shook the door frame, and Itey yelped in fear, burying his head in his arms. 

            I kneeled down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Now just calm down. It's okay to be scared."

            "No, it's not." Came the muffled reply.

            "Yes, it is. Come on. We're gonna play a game."

            As I grabbed him by the arm and practically dragged him out of his hiding spot, he looked at me with fear and concern shining through his eyes. I just smiled, grabbed a frying pan and a spatula off the kitchen counter, and proceeded to beat them together as I walked through the bedrooms where everyone else was peacefully sleeping.

            "Wake up! Come on, everybody! Emergency meeting! Wake up!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Blink rolled over and tried to cover his head with his pillow, and only managed to fall out of the bed. 

            And let me tell you, I had never seen a heavier sleeper than Specs. He didn't even notice I was making noise until I beat the frying pan an inch from his ear.

            Slowly but surely, I got everyone to make their way into the main room, though it took some bribing with a few. Itey was now sitting in the corner of the main room, trying to steady his breathing as the storm continued beating down around us.

            "Itey, come on over here. We're gonna start the game."

            Blink arched an eyebrow. "You're saying you pulled us out of bed at one o'clock in the morning to play a game?"

            "That's exactly what I'm saying. There were a few of us who weren't getting any sleep anyway." Itey made his way over to the group, and I sat him down between me and Racetrack. "We're going to play 'truth or dare' boys. Who wants to start?"

            There were a few groans, but there were also a couple of people who welcomed the change of pace. "I'll start." Cowboy said, smiling as he looked around the group. "Mush."

            At first I was sure Mush was going to say truth. I jerked a thumb towards Itey so only Mush could see, and he sighed heavily. He knew that I wanted him to pick dare so that things would get interesting real quick and get Itey's mind off of the storm.

            "Dare."

            Cowboy was absolutely grinning now. "For the next 24 hours, you can't say a single sentence without a curse word in it."

            Mush's mouth dropped open at that. "_What?_"

            "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you." Cowboy said teasingly.

            Mush swallowed hard, looking around at our little expectant group. "You're fuckin' crazy, Cowboy." He hissed, much to the delight of his house mates. He was blushing all the way up to his ears now, but he still had 24 hours to go. He looked down at the floor, and then said, "I forego my fucking turn."

            We all laughed as Racetrack took dibs on Mush's turn. "Okay…Blink."

            "Dare."

            Racetrack's grin was pure evil now. "I dare you to go outside and jump in the swimming pool."

            Itey's eyes had to be the size of dinner plates. "He'll get hit by lightening!!!" 

            Blink just smiled and stood up, making his way toward the back door. We all followed and stood at the windows as he stepped outside, broke into a sprint, and took a flying leap in what had to be ice cold water.

            Mush shook his head and laughed. "I'll go get him a towel."

            Cowboy was not allowing that to fly by. "What'd you say, Mush?"

            "I said I was going to get him a _fucking_ towel, you _bastard_."

            Blink climbed out of the pool and ran for the door, already shivering noticeably. I considered locking the door, but I decided he'd had enough as it was.

            Mush threw a towel around his shoulders as he walked in, and then handed him a clean set of pajamas- which led us all to wonder how in the world Mush knew where Blink kept his clothes. But I let it go by without saying anything.

            "Blink, it's your turn." Racetrack said, a smirk still on his face.

            "Skittery."

            He looked up at Blink, and quickly decided that it was about time for someone to choose the easy road. "Truth."

            After a few groans from the other housemates, Blink decided on a question. "Are you a druggie?"

            "Nope."

            Well, at least he wasn't going to be going through withdrawal or shooting up while he was here. That was a relief.

            Skittery looked around our little circle, and his eyes landed on me. "Spot."

            "Dare."

            "I dare you to dress in drag all day tomorrow."

            I smiled at this feeble attempt at a dare. "And just where am I gonna get the clothes, huh?"

            "I'm sure big brother wouldn't mind providing."

            Oh, shit. He was right. They probably wouldn't, knowing them. "You've got a dare."

            It was my turn to choose a victim. And I already knew who it was gonna be. "Specs."

            Specs took a few moments to decide, watching me carefully to try and figure out if I had any strange ideas going through my head. What he didn't know was that I already knew what my dare was gonna be- and they were all gonna hate me for it. Oh, they were going to hate me.

            "Dare."

            Oh, yes. This was going to be sweet.

            "A ten second kiss with Dutchy. I'll count."

Dutchy

            I could feel the blood rushing to my face as Specs's mouth dropped open in shock. Everyone else in the room was either laughing hysterically or looking at Spot with deep disapproval- most of them the former.

            "Well…are you gonna do it or not? I mean, Blink's soaking wet over here…he didn't chicken out…" Spot urged. I knew he was right- it was a dare. We had to do it. I locked eyes with Specs, who looked absolutely mortified and also…worried. Why would he be worried? It's just a dare, after all.

            "I'm in if you're in." I said, wondering what my family would think of this when they saw it. Cause I just knew big brother wouldn't pass up airing this. My friends back home would never let me live this down.

            "Alright. You guys ready?" Spot asked, and suddenly Bumlets broke in.

            "You guys don't have to do this. That was a cheap dare." He said, tension straining every word. I let Specs handle this one.

            "No, Spot's right. Nobody else backed down. You can't turn down a dare." He said, and Bumlets still seemed a bit annoyed, but he saw the logic.

            Spot took back over, ignoring Bumlets's obvious disapproval. I could feel my heart pounding a mile a minute in my chest, and I could tell Specs was dying of nervousness as well. This was crazy! 

            "Okay…go."

            Specs leaned forward and his lips gently met mine, and before I even knew it, I found myself kissing him back. I could vaguely hear Spot counting down, but as Specs's soft lips caressed my own, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. I felt his hand run through my hair, and I whimpered softly, hoping none of the other housemates heard it.

            Wait a minute. I couldn't be enjoying this. I was straight! Everyone I hung out with was straight! 

            But as his tongue began tentatively exploring my mouth, I began to wonder. Seriously wonder. Was I as straight as I thought I was?

            We broke apart after what seemed like just a few seconds, and my lips tingled as I met his gaze.

            "52 seconds! I told you guys!" Spot suddenly yelled, and I jumped in surprise. Cowboy stopped laughing long enough to inform us of what had just happened.

            "You guys…ten seconds ended 42 seconds ago."

            Snitch was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Yeah…and I think I saw some tongue in there."

            Oh, God. I looked at Specs, who I knew had the same thoughts running through his head.

            What were our family and friends going to think?

            More importantly…had I been gay all along and never even known it?

AN: That was a whole lot of fun to write! Truth or Dare…Newsies…is there a better mix? And poor Mush! Need I say there will be a whole lot of cursing in the next chapter, and all of it will be coming from Mush ^___^!

Oh, and for all you people who get all squeamish about the guy kissing guy thing- for one, congrats on making it this far. For two, you've got nothing to worry about. Unless I go completely and utterly insane, that's the furthest it's gonna get, nothing worse, most likely. Just sweet, fluffy stuff


	10. Pillows and Meat Grinders

AN: Sorry that this chapter took so long. Things have been really hectic around here! 

I figured it was time for another 'look inside their heads and see what they're thinking' chapter, considering what just happened. So let's just jump right in…

Dutchy

            This couldn't be happening to me. I was the shy, nice guy in my hometown, the only painter in a 500 mile area who seemed to have his head screwed on straight. I was a fucking straight A student, for God's sake. So why did it feel so good…so _right_…to be kissing him?

            I wasn't gay. I hadn't been gay before I walked in those doors, and I certainly was not going to be gay when I walked out. I'd get over this, one way or another. I had to. For goodness sake, what would my mother think? She was going to be mad enough as it was about that kiss lasting much more than ten seconds!

            But come to think of it, when _was_ the last time I had a girlfriend? Oh, yeah, it was that girl named Penny in my art class…and she dumped me cause I wouldn't even hold her hand in public. I thought I was just shy…but even a shy guy would hold his girlfriend's hand. On top of that, I really didn't like kissing her. I convinced myself it was because she was a bad kisser- but I'd had nothing to compare it to. Why was my only serious relationship so fucked up?

            It just didn't _feel_ right.

            Oh. My. God.

            I'm a friggin' homosexual…

Cowboy

            I had no idea who Snitch was going to nominate. The kid was blocked off, same as Skittery. No one knew quite what he was thinking, and that worried me, considering I already had a big target on my back in this house. If he was smart, he'd go after Race and Spot. Those were the two I didn't trust.

            Okay…enough talking about the nominations. I'm worried enough without lingering on the subject.

            I think Dutchy was still in shock. He went straight to his bed after that dare, crawled under the sheets, and wasn't seen again all night. And, of course, now Specs is feelin' guilty because admitted to us that he _heard Spot counting down, and he __knew when the ten seconds was up. He just didn't want to stop. He didn't realize that Dutchy had completely lost his senses and truly didn't know that time was up._

            Yeah…they're gonna make a cute couple when they sort things out. So are Blink and Mush, but that's a whole 'nother story, and I'll save it for later.

            And now Itey is lookin' up to Spot like some kind of brother. It seems like after the whole storm incident, something has really clicked between them. I have the feeling that if anyone tries to mess with Itey- ever- they're gonna have Spot right behind them, ready to tear them into a thousand pieces.

            Anyways, that's my take on things. As messed up as it may be.

Snitch

            I hated being head of household. This had to be one of the hardest decisions I'd made to date. I liked all these guys, even Spot and Cowboy, unlike some people. But in order to use my powers of nomination correctly, I had to go by strategy. And that meant putting up two people who no one else would think of.  

            And I was scared half to death. I didn't want to betray them, but it had to be done. 

Blink

            That water was really…really…cold. I mean, truly. As in 'jumping off the Titanic' cold. But at least Specs's and Dutchy's 'no I'm not gay I just enjoy kissing him' ordeal took my mind off it. I mean, that was just pricelessly funny. I kinda felt sorry for Dutchy though- he was now infinitely confused. I think the poor kid honestly didn't know he was gay. 

            How can someone go through seventeen years of their life and never realize that they're gay? It's beyond me.           * ^__^ If only you knew, Blink. Just you wait.^__^ *

            Anyway. Nominations…what a mess. Everybody was holding their breath on that one. I had the feeling Snitch already knew exactly who he was going to nominate, and that it was gonna shock everyone else. That was just the way he worked thus far. 

            I was ever so slowly getting the hang of this…getting to know people, knowing what to expect from everyone- but some things are just going to baffle me no matter how long I stay. 

Racetrack

            This was not good. This was- very much so- not good. One of the only two guys that I hadn't been able to figure out or get close to- the other being Skittery- had the head of household. And for once in my life, I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen next. I hated that. But there was nothing I could do about Snitch now…that would have to wait.

            Skittery would have to be my next victim. If I didn't get closer to him, and he won head of household, I was done for. I could see it in his eyes that he was judging me, waiting for me to make one wrong move so he could jump all over it and get me outta here. He didn't trust me, and if I didn't get him to trust me, I was basically a goner.

            Now the big question was…how do you get a hardened criminal to trust you? Especially when they already know you're a lying, scheming gambler?

*******************************************************************************************  

Spot

            A day in drag. It couldn't be that bad, could it? Except for all of America seeing me in a dress and makeup, that is. Yeah, it wouldn't be that bad.

            WHO THE HELL WAS I KIDDING?!

            There was no way big brother would play along with this. I would wake in the morning, and everything would go as planned. Yep. That was it. No female clothes, no makeup, just normal me. 

            I knew it was wishful thinking. But it was worth a shot.

Mush

            A whole day. I couldn't do this. My family was Christian. I probably hadn't said three curse words in my entire life, let alone every sentence. Maybe if I just didn't talk the whole day I would be able to avoid cursing every single second.

            I tried to talk to Dutchy. Everybody else was laughing, but somehow I didn't find this the least bit funny. I mean, first he gets kissed by another guy, and then it turns out he may be gay? Finding that out all in one night had to be hard on him. I would've hidden under my sheets too if that happened to me.

            Spot really surprised me. I think he's really taken Itey under his wing- maybe he'd lose a bit of that temper too, if we were lucky. Probably not. 

            I don't know how long I stayed up talking to Blink. We stayed back in the main room after everyone else went to sleep; we talked about nominations, the veto, the other house guests, his acting jobs back in L.A., and my overly religious family. I don't even remember falling asleep- I only remember Cowboy shaking us both awake- we'd fallen asleep on the couch in the main room. I guess we didn't realize how tired we were.

            I'm just glad Cowboy had a stroke of intelligence and quietly woke me up just seconds before Blink. I'm very glad I had a chance to move before Blink woke up. Cause I'm not sure he would've been too happy about the fact that I had fallen asleep leaning on him, and visa-versa.

Itey

            Spot isn't as bad as I first thought. I was scared to death that he was going to laugh or beat me up when he found me in the closet…I must've looked pretty pitiful. But he didn't. And he even stayed up with me until the storm was over. And I couldn't believe the other guys were willing to do what they did to help out. 

            So I guess it's kinda my fault that the whole Specs and Dutchy ordeal happened. It was gonna happen eventually, though- even I could tell that. Anybody who watched the way they look at each other could tell that.

            Everyone has agreed to keep it a secret that we all know- not just Cowboy- that Blink and Mush used each other as a pillow last night. It was too funny to pass up for Spot, I guess, cause he was the first one up and he made sure to wake all of us up just to look. I thought it was cute- and I'm so glad that cameras were running. Cause I am _so going to want a picture of the look on Mush's face when he woke up._

            I guess they could've just been really tired and too lazy to walk back to their bedrooms. Maybe they're not gay. But it was still hilarious. And if they _are gay, they obviously don't know it yet, and they make the most unlikely couple in the house- an actor from L.A. and a country boy from Kansas._

Bumlets

            I swear, this house is full of gay guys who don't know they're gay.

            First Specs and Dutchy, with Specs being a little more accepting than Dutchy, who completely and totally freaked out when he realized what exactly happened. I told them they didn't have to do it, but _noooooo. They're stubborn little brats, they went and ignored me, and look what happened! Now Dutchy probably isn't even going to look at Specs again for the entire time he's in the house._

            Then there's Mush and Blink. Our own Romeo and Juliet without even knowing it. I mean, they're so head over heels for each other that they don't even see it! And man…Mush's family…I doubt they'll be too happy about this, being Christian and all.

            But still…that whole stunt this morning? That was cute. Those two are a match made in heaven. Too bad it's bound to fail, if they ever realize just what's going on. I guess it's easier to see things like this when you're on the outside looking in.

            I'm not really worried about nominations- I have the feeling I'm blending in just fine right now. Snitch barely ever speaks to me, let alone me standing out in any way. And if I keep it that way, I should be able to stay in for a pretty long time, maybe even up to the end.

Specs

            Oh, God, I feel awful about this. I should've stopped. I knew when that ten seconds was up…I heard Spot the whole time. Why didn't I just stop? What's wrong with me?!

            And now Dutchy will probably never speak to me again. I would give anything- _anything- to feel his lips on mine again, to run my hand through that silky blond hair, but it's not going to happen. I blew it. Hell, he won't even talk to Mush!_

            I could only wonder if he felt what I did- that spark, that tremor that just took over. I can't say exactly what I felt, but I felt _something_. And I don't think he can honestly say he didn't feel it too.  I can only hope.

            I'll try and talk to him about it after he's calmed down a little- he's pretty upset right now. For now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying. That is, if God even listens to 'fags', as my father so eloquently puts it.

            Cause my father has to be the biggest homophobe in the USA. 

            I guess that's kind of a roadblock, isn't it?

Skittery

            This house is one big soap opera. And I hate soap operas.

            And at the moment,  I was seriously considering sticking Racetrack's head into the meat grinder and making a very big plate of chopped sushi to go as a side, garnished with parsley, maybe a little oregano and tartar sauce…okay, I'm getting carried away. But you get my point.

            I can see right through that swindler. I saw how he made straight for Mush and Bumlets even on the first day here. I knew what he was doing.

            You get on the side of the nice guys, they'll protect you. That's the deal. Well, I'm not falling for that. No way.

            Just because I can cook doesn't mean I'm stupid or gullible. And right now, Race is treading on the very thin ice that is my patience.

            And seriously…I don't want to lose my patience in this house. There are far too many objects laying around that could be used as weapons.

AN: That was a very fun chapter, just like the last one. I love prying into their minds. Review, please! All you silent readers out there- it's time you reviewed! It'll only take a second, I promise! ^__^ 


	11. Out Like A Light

AN: Time for nominations! And boy, are you guys in for a shock…

Oh, and everybody cheer for the first-time reviewer! You know who you are! 

Just as a little explanation, due to popular demand, I'm going to start this chapter with Mush waking up and realizing where he is, you know, using Blink as a pillow…I thought it would be funny to see _exactly what he thinks…_

Mush

            "Mush…Mush…wake up…"

            I groaned and just curled up tighter, not wanting to give up the warmth of my bed. Wait…I was sitting upright…and my bed was _breathing_?!

            My eyes snapped open and I realized just where I was- curled up against Blink on the couch, my head on his chest and his arm wrapped around me. I resisted the urge to jump about a mile in the air in shock, because luckily, he was still asleep. Cowboy was standing over us, a huge grin on his face.

            "Comfortable?"

            I gently pulled away, grabbing Blink's arm and setting it on the couch instead of on me. I stood up and heaved a sigh of relief- now he could wake up and he'd never know. 

            "Come on, everyone else is waiting. Time for breakfast." Cowboy said, reaching down to wake Blink up, but I grabbed his arm before he could.

            "Did the others…" I started, and he hesitated before shaking his head 'no'.

            Oh dear God. He was lying.

            Everyone knew. They'd probably seen it, too.

            I spun around and stalked to the kitchen where everyone else was seated at the table as Skittery dished out some kind of radish, tuna, and milk mix that looks and sounds disgusting but has come to be our favorite breakfast meal. He said it was Japanese or something.

            And then, as I sat down, I remembered my dare. I'd have to be cussing all day…that didn't help my mood, on top of what had already happened. My family would absolutely maul me when I got home, not to mention the rest of my congregation. Briefly I wondered how Blink and I had gotten into that position in the first place- I didn't remember a thing along those lines, just our conversation.

            I suddenly noticed something else that was strange and slightly disturbing- Specs and Dutchy were sitting on opposite sides of the table, neither one talking or even looking up from their food. I was surprised Dutchy even agreed to come to breakfast with the rest of us.

            "Good morning, Mush." Spot said, a huge grin on his face as he waited for a response. No dress, though…big brother must not have played along.

            "Good fucking morning."

            The entire table burst out into laughter, though this was another thing that I didn't find the least bit funny.

            Just as Blink walked in, running a hand through his hair, the doorbell rang. That's right: the doorbell.

            We all looked at each other in shock, and since Blink was already standing up, he went to the door and opened it, all of us watching anxiously. Nobody was at the door, but there was a package sitting on the front step. Blink picked it up and studied it carefully, and he suddenly started laughing as he walked back to the table with it.

            He dropped it on the table right in front of Spot. "It's for you. It's from big brother."

            And in response, Spot paled about ten shades. 

            "Alright, open it up, Spot. I gotta see this." Cowboy said. Spot stood up and tore the tape off, blushing madly as he pulled out a bright pink shirt and a bright pink mini-skirt. And underneath that were various makeup items and even a blond, curly wig and a pair of pink high heels. I was laughing so hard I thought I would pass out.  

            Spot suddenly threw a death glare at Skittery, even though Skittery just had this small smirk on his face and wasn't even laughing.

            "You'll get yours, Skitts. You just wait."

            At this, Skittery did laugh, albeit quietly. "I don't doubt it."

            Spot stood up and walked out, muttering about big brother and the fact that it always butts in to house matters.

            "So Blink…did you sleep well?" Snitch asked, and I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. I looked down at my food, hoping no one would notice.

            Blink, however, just looked confused. "Yeah…why?"

            Everyone at the table was snickering now, and I could practically feel the blush spreading all the way up to my ears. Cowboy suddenly shot a look at the other house guests that basically said to 'drop it', and for once, I was thankful that he was there.

            "So…who's gonna help him do his makeup?" Race asked, immediately sending us into fits of laughter once again. "Blink, you're a theater person, right?"

            "Yeah. Why?"

            "Well, don't all the guys in theater have to wear makeup? Don't you know how to put it on?"

            "Usually I have someone put on my makeup for me…but I guess I could give it a shot."

            The conversation just drifted, and I basically kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to have to curse. I just couldn't get my mind off what had happened, so I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with the conversation anyway.

            Spot opened the door and walked out about ten minutes later, and I couldn't believe my eyes. The phrase 'like a glove' doesn't have _anything_ on this outfit.

            Race and Snitch immediately dragged him over to the chair and sat him down, and Blink pulled up a chair in front of him, studying the makeup big brother had provided. We all gathered around as Spot blushed, anxious to watch his 'makeover'.

            Blink grabbed Spot by the chin and tilted his head toward the light and immediately began applying foundation as Cowboy shoved Spot's feet into the heels and buckled them.

            "Hey Bumlets…go get his hair mousse. We're gonna need to slick down his hair before we put the wig on. Close your eyes, Spot." Blink ordered, applying a bright, glittery pink eyeshadow and then using glittery eyeliner and lipliner. The lipstick was also glittery and neon pink, and then Blink used a glitter brush to make every inch of exposed skin shine with glitter.

            "If I didn't know any better I'd think you'd done this before." Cowboy said to Blink, helping Bumlets mousse down Spot's hair.

            "Um…I was in 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'. _Everyone_ was dressed like this."

            "Even you?"

            "………Yeah. Even me." 

            Blink put about ten bobby pins in his mouth and threw the wig on Spot's head, using every single bobby pin to make sure it stayed on. Then he sat back and sighed as Spot sent us all glares of certain death.

            "He looks like a girl!" Itey said, and everyone agreed. If I had never seen him before, I would've thought he was female. At least the attention was off of me and Blink for now.

Racetrack

            Before we knew it, it was almost time for nominations, and I finally got my chance. Skittery was washing dishes alone- everyone was just waiting in the main room.

            "Hey…care for some help?" I asked, and after eyeing me carefully for a moment, he threw me a rag to start drying the dishes with. We worked in silence for a moment before I spoke; I figured I was safe from any outbursts he may have since he was elbow-deep in soapy dish water.

            "Who do you think is the biggest threat right now?" I asked quietly.

            "Why is it you wanna know?"

            "Just getting opinions."

            He practically threw another dish at me, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "I'm really not sure."

            "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

            "No."

            Okay, I was getting fed up now. He was like the goddamned Sphinx, talking in riddles all the time! I laid a hand on his shoulder, and I felt his entire body stiffen and a shiver go all through him. I didn't think anything of it at the time, even though I probably should've paid more attention to that little detail.

            "Listen. We need to start seriously thinking about this. I mean, there's a person in head of household, and none of us know who he's going to nominate!"

            "I do."

            "Did he tell you?"

            "No."

            "Goddamnit, Skittery!" I hissed, letting my hand drop off his shoulder and grabbing another dish to dry. He was doing this on purpose, just to annoy me. I knew it. "I'm asking for your help. A truce. I protect you, you protect me. They'll never expect it out of _us_, of all people. Come on, it could keep us off the block for_ ages_!"

            He thought for a moment, and my offer hung in midair, ready to be grabbed or dropped.

Skittery

            I honestly didn't know what to pick. If I didn't take his offer I'd be on his bad side for the rest of the time in the house. If I did take his offer, I risked getting backed into a corner. But he was right- at the moment, the rest of the house guests think we hate each other. And having a truce underneath that could come in handy.

            "Alright…you've got a deal. On one condition."

            "What's that?"

            "If we get down to the line, it's every man for himself. I don't like the idea of being tied to you through the whole competition."

            He thought on that for a moment as I dried my hands, and then he nodded. "Fine. You've got a deal."

            We shook on it, and then we started to head for the main room- but suddenly, my feet slipped out from under me, and I heard a metallic kind of 'ring' as my head slammed into a counter.

            And then, it was like one of those old fashioned TV's- the darkness closed in as the pain took over, leaving a pinpoint of light before everything went black.

Specs

            "Guys! Help!"

            All of us heard Racetrack's shout and ran to the kitchen, where Skittery was laying unconscious on the floor and Race was kneeling beside him. I rushed forward, keeping Race from moving him.

            "No, don't move him. What happened?"

            "He slipped and fell. Busted his head on the counter, I think."

            I didn't want to move him, but I had to make sure he wasn't bleeding, so I gently lifted his head just the way dad had shown me and checked for blood. Luckily, he wasn't bleeding.

            "Specs…do you know what you're doing?" Dutchy asked, worry stressing every one of his angelic features. That was the first time he had spoken to me since last night.

            "My dad's a doctor." I said, looking around the room. "Somebody find me a flashlight!"

            "A flashlight?" Spot snorted as Dutchy and Blink took off to find one for me.

            "I have to see if his eyes are dilating. He may have a concussion. If he has a concussion, we're going to have to hope he wakes up soon."

            What's so bad about a concussion?" Itey asked, biting his lower lip nervously.

            I thought for a moment, going through the list in my head. "Nausea, amnesia, temporary confusion, dizziness…possibility of coma, if he doesn't wake up pretty soon…it's a bad thing in general."

            Blink and Dutchy came back in and Dutchy handed me a flashlight, and I quickly opened Skittery's eyes one at a time and checked them. The news wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite good either- only partial dilation on both eyes.

            "Is he okay?" Race asked, sounding almost guilty. 

            "Mild concussion. He'll probably be fine. He may come down with flu-like symptoms for the next day or so."

            Sarah's voice suddenly broke the tense situation. "Does a doctor need to be sent in?"

            I shook my head. "No, I think he'll be okay if we keep an eye on him. But if he doesn't wake up in about an hour, we will need a doctor. We need to take him to his bed."

            I waited for Cowboy, Dutchy, Mush, and Blink to get a grip on him, and then we slowly lifted him, and I made sure we didn't jar his head in any way. We slowly carried the limp boy to the bedroom and laid him down, and Mush offered to stay with him during nominations.

            I gave Mush instructions on what t do if he woke up and we went back to the main room, all of us quiet after that little surprise. We took our seats and Snitch stood up, holding the box with all our keys in it.

            "Okay…no big speeches…let's just do this." He said, pulling out the first key. "Cowboy, you're safe."

            Cowboy took his key, a look of unmistakable surprise on his face. I guess he expected to be nominated.

            Next key. "Bumlets, you're safe."

            Bumlets took his key with a sigh of relief.

            Next key. "Specs, you're safe."

            I felt relief wash over me as I took my key. Now all I needed was for Dutchy to be safe…I wanted to apologize to him without nominations hanging over us like some kind of dark cloud.

            Next key. "Itey, you're safe."

            No big surprise there.

            Next key. "Spot, you're safe."

            Wow…big surprise there. Who was he nominating if he didn't nominate Cowboy or Spot? Skittery, maybe?

            Next key. "Race, you're safe."

            Race still seemed to be brooding over the accident in the kitchen. His head snapped up when he heard his name, and he took his key and threw it around his neck without a second thought.

            Next key. "Skittery…he's safe."

            Blink reached forward and took Skittery's key. "I'll hang it up for him." He said quietly.

            It was down to three- Blink, Mush, and Dutchy. I was already in shock just from having it down to those three.

            Next, and last, key. _Please be Dutchy. Please be Dutchy. _"Dutchy, you're safe."

            YES!

            Dutchy took his key, and Snitch looked at Blink to speak, since Mush wasn't present. "It's purely strategic. Always will be. Just like Cowboy said, it's nothing personal."

            He didn't say anything else- he just picked up the box and the nomination bag with Blink and Mush's keys inside and went back to put them away. We went to hang our keys back on the wall, and I went straight to the bedroom to check on Skittery. Blink came along, probably to tell Mush that he'd been nominated.

            "Has he waken up yet? I asked, and Mush shook his head. I did a quick once over of Skittery, and then left Blink and Mush alone to talk. I knew that now that they were on the block together and with the veto competition coming up, they'd have a whole lot to talk about.

            "Hey guys…where'd Dutchy go?" I asked Cowboy. He pointed to the backyard, and I looked out seeing Dutchy sitting once again with his feet in the pool. I walked out and approached him from behind, and he saw my reflection on the water.

            "You gonna shove me in again?" he asked.

            "It's awfully tempting…but no."

            I sat down beside him and didn't speak- I was content to be able to just sit next to him, not saying a word.

            "Thanks for what you did with Skittery in there. Your dad is probably real proud of you right now."

            "It's no problem. Just glad I could help."

            We fell silent again, and I got up the courage to look at him. He was avoiding meeting my gaze, and I wondered if last night I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I felt like I may have lost him for good by pulling a stunt like that.

            "Dutchy…" I started, swallowing hard as I thought about what to say to him. "About that whole thing last night…I'm sorry."

            "No, it wasn't your fault."

            "I know, but I'm sorry anyway. And I was hoping we could just…forget about it and start over. I…I don't want to lose a friend over a game."

            He opened his mouth as if to speak, and at first, he said nothing. "What if…what if I don't want to forget about it?"

            I felt my heart jump into my throat. Had he just said what I thought he said? I looked back up at him, not quite sure just what he meant by it.

            As if sensing my confusion, he suddenly grabbed me by the neck and jerked me forward, pulling me into a long, sweet kiss. We broke apart and his lips brushed against mine with a feather-light touch that sent tingles up my spine.

            "I think I'm in love with you, Specs." He whispered, his breath mingling with mine in the warm afternoon air. And when all I could do in my state of mind was take in a shuddering breath, he leaned forward and caught my lips in another kiss, this one just as sweet as the first.

            They say perfection is impossible. That's not true.

            I was kissing perfection.

AN: Next chapter is the veto competition!

Oh, and the whole concussion thing? It's just cementing the family. Every family has accidents, and they've gotta make it through. You know me- always throwing in wild cards!

And all Mush and Blink fans, don't worry, there's still veto! There's always a chance that both of them could stay in and somebody else get kicked out…but that depends on how good you are at begging and pleading for their sake…no, I'm just kidding. Review!


	12. I Didn't Even Compete!

AN: I have very sad news. I'm being dragged on an out of town trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin and Chicago, and I won't get back until Wednesday. But I'm going to take my laptop and write the whole time, and when I get back on Thursday, be ready for an UBER- UPDATE!!! I'm sooooooooo sorry about this…I tried to get out of it cause it's gonna be boring…but you know parents.

Anyways, time for the veto competition!

Blink

            "Mush…you got nominated."

            He nodded. I was amazed that he didn't seem all that surprised. I pulled up a chair and sat down beside him, and he sighed. "Who's the other?"

            "Me." 

            He seemed surprised at that one. He looked up at me, his eyes widened in shock.

            "Really?"

            "Yep."

            Another uncomfortable silence fell, and I wondered what was wrong. "Mush…if you're not talking because of the dare…I won't tell anyone if you drop it for right now."

            "No, it's not that. But I will take you up on that anyway."

            "So what is it? What's wrong?"

            "Nothing."

            I raised my eyebrow. "Yeah, right."

            He fell silent again, and I started to get mad. Don't you hate it when someone's upset and they won't tell you why?

            "Mush." I started, and he looked up at me, and I saw something written all over his face that I never expected to see there: Guilt. "What's wrong? I'm your best friend in this house. You can tell me anything."

            "It…it doesn't matter."

            "Obviously it does, if you're this torn up about it."

            He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's just…well…last night."

            "What about it? Did I say something wrong?"

            "No! No, I just…this morning, when Cowboy woke us up…"

            I wasn't following. He wasn't _there_ when I woke up; I'd assumed he'd gone to his bed sometime during the night. "What are you talkin' about, Mush?"

            He shifted uncomfortably _again_- this kid could not just sit still. "Nothing. Just…Nevermind."

            "Don't drop this. What are you talking about?"

            "They guys, they found us this morning on the couch…in a very…compromising position."

            My mind froze. It hadn't just been my imagination that someone moved off of me this morning just before I got up. Mush _had_ been there. 

            "Oh."

             Mush swallowed hard and dropped his gaze back to the floor. _The poor kid_, I thought. _That's what he's been so upset about?_

"It's okay, Mush...Really, it's no big deal."

            He didn't look up this time, and I grabbed onto his shoulder to make him look me in the eye.

            "Mush, listen to me. It's fine. I don't care."

            He smiled weakly. "You're sure?"

            "I'm certain. Who cares about them anyways? I don't know about _you_, but _I_ slept well."

            That got a laugh out of him, and the tension began to drain from the conversation.

            "So that's what the guys were implying at the breakfast table?" I asked, and he nodded. "We'll get 'em back. Trust me."

            Suddenly a groan came from the bed, and Skittery's eyes slowly fluttered open. 

            "Go get Specs." I ordered Mush, and he took off, practically knocking over his chair in the process. I stood up and walked to the bedside, looking down at Skittery. He didn't seem to be able to focus his vision quite yet- his eyes seemed glazed over. 

            He blinked and his eyes finally focused on me, and immediately he shut his eyes tightly in a stab of pain.

            "Skittery? You okay?"

            Specs ran in, and I immediately noticed the dark spot on his neck and the fact that his hair was a mess. Looks like he'd worked things out with Dutchy.

            "Skittery? Can you hear me?" he asked, and Skittery nodded, though he kept his eyes shut tight. Dutchy ran in, his hair in much the same disarray, confirming my suspicions as he handed Specs the flashlight. 

            "Skittery…can you open your eyes for me?" Specs asked gently, and Skittery slowly opened one eye, and then the other. "Okay, I'm gonna shine a light in your eyes. Just keep them open."

            He finished doing that and Skittery closed his eyes once again, pressing his hand against his forehead. 

            "What happened?" he asked, his voice weak.

            "You took a good hit on the head, buddy." I said.

            He moaned and dropped his hand back to his side, and I looked up at Specs. "Is he gonna be okay?"

            "Yeah. He's gonna feel like shit for the next few days though."

            "I'm right here, people." Skittery mumbled, obviously not liking the fact that he was being told that bluntly how he was going to feel for the next few days.  

            "Guys! Time for veto competition!" Cowboy yelled, and without a second thought, Mush offered to forego his position in the competition to look over Skittery. Talk about selfless- he was even on the block this week.

            We walked out to the backyard, and there was a table there with a sheet of paper at each place. I sat down at the placing with my name, and then I noticed Snitch- who was head of household and not allowed to compete- sit down at Skittery's place. He said that if he won, Skittery would take the veto.

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hello Sarah."

            "Today's veto competition is simple, and it will help you to get to know your house mates better. The first step: fill out the form on the table in front of you. Do that now."

            I looked down at the form. It started out with the basics- age, hair color, eye color, birth month, etc. Then it got more specific- favorite band, favorite movie, favorite color, and so on. I filled it out as quickly as possible, and then I sat and waited while the others finished.

            When everyone was done, Sarah spoke again. "In a moment, I will ask you to get up and walk around, talking to the other house guests. When you find a house guest with the same answer as you, you will get them to put their signature beside that blank. The first person to get a signature for each answer and rings the bell on the table wins the power of veto. Does everyone understand?"

            We all nodded.

            "Alright. You may begin."

            I made a beeline straight for Dutchy- the other blond. Not only that, but he had blue eyes. Easy enough. And who knew that Spot had a thing for Evanescance? 

            But I wasn't quite fast enough- Snitch rang the bell about three minutes into the game. Which meant Skittery had the veto.

            Oh, shit. Leave it to the kid with the concussion to do something weird.

Cowboy

            "Skittery, you have the veto." I said as I passed his room.

            "WHAT? I didn't compete! And I don't even know who's nominated!" he yelled, immediately regretting the yelling and moaning as he pressed a hand to his forehead and Mush pushed him back on the bed. I leaned on the doorframe, snickering as he recovered from his own outburst.

            "Snitch competed for you. He nominated Blink and Mush."

            Skittery opened one eye. "Why Blink and Mush?"

            "Beats me."

            I moved on to let Mush explain, and I sat down at the kitchen counter, wondering who in the world was going to cook dinner now that Skittery was out of the kitchen. I sighed, stood up, and started to make everyone turkey sandwiches- that would be the best they got without Skittery's five-star cooking.

            Nobody seemed to mind, though. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood at dinner- even the nominees, or at least the one present. And especially Specs and Dutchy- those two were practically giddy. But eventually the honeymoon would end, and they'd have to face up to what they'd started- and they'd have to face up to their families. I mean, from what I understood, Specs's father was the biggest homophobe that ever lived, and he was probably sitting at home tying up a noose for Specs right now. 

            They were in a sanctuary right now, where no one could touch them. But the second they stepped out those doors, it was over. Paradise lost.

            But seeing Spot in a pink miniskirt was worth anything I had to undergo once I was out of here. I couldn't count how many times he'd fallen on his face because of those heels. That was absolutely priceless.

Mush

            "Mush…I think I know what I'm gonna do with the veto. And I…just wanted to warn you."

            I looked up at Skittery in surprise as he held a damp rag on his forehead. His fever had started to set in, just like Specs said, and I would've guessed that he had the flu any day.

            "You don't have to do that."

            "I know. But I want to." A chill coursed through his body, causing him to shiver even though he was sweating through his shirt. "You're a real sweet kid, Mush. No one in their right mind is going to vote you off."

            "Aw, I don't know about that…"

            "Don't be modest. It's true. And that's why I'm taking Blink off the block and not you."

            "Okay."

            He continued his explanation, although it wasn't necessary. I guess he felt guilty about not taking me out.

            "See…if I put someone like Cowboy or Spot up against you…there'll be no question. I'm just…I hate to say it, but I'm using you. To get them out."

            He'd been talking fast, trying to make his case, and it was draining his strength. 

            "I understand. No explanation needed. You need to sleep."

            "No I don't."

            "Yes you do. Go to sleep."

            "Yes, mother."

            I would have snapped right back at him, but he was out like a light. I felt sorry for him- what a time to win veto.   

            "Mush, I'll take over for you. Go eat your dinner…Cowboy made his famous 'mystery sandwich'." Snitch said, walking into the room and sitting down on his bed, which was right next to Skittery's.

            "Alright. Thanks Snitch."

            I got up and started to walk out.

            "Mush?"

            I stopped and turned around, and Snitch looked up at me like a guilty little kid. "I'm sorry, man."

            I smiled. "It's okay. It's just a game. And be careful; Skittery talks in his sleep."

AN: Another chapter done! And hey…I may get one more done before I leave, if I'm lucky- I have the computer all to myself today, no sharing with dad. Next chapter, Skittery uses the power of veto, and I think we'll also evict in the next chapter… 


	13. 2nd Eviction

AN: Time to use the veto and evict another house guests- I hope you guys don't hate me too much. I don't think you'll expect it, though, and this certain house guest has been a thorn in my side cause I don't know how to write his character. And since I am the almighty author…no. Just kidding. On with the story! * whistles innocently *

Oh, and this is probably my last chapter before I leave for Wisconsin. But expect an absolutely HUGE update on Thursday, possibly Wednesday evening!

Spot

            We gathered for the veto 'ceremony' and Snitch came forward, holding the nominations bag and another bag that could possibly hold a replacement key if the veto was used.

            "Due to Skittery's condition, he's asked me to take his place in running the veto ceremony. I don't know what he has chosen yet…he gave me this." He said, holding up a sealed envelope.

            He carefully opened it, his eyebrow arching as he read it.

            "Skittery has chosen to use the power of veto." He said, opening the nomination bag and pulling out a key. "Blink, you are now safe."

            Blink was stunned, but reached forward and took his key, carefully placing it around his neck. I was surprised that Skittery hadn't made Mush safe- he was the one you would rather have in the house anyways.

            "And in replacement, Cowboy will be put on the block." Snitch said, taking Cowboy's key from the replacement bag and putting it in the nomination bag, pulling the strings tight. Cowboy's jaw had dropped, but in a split second, that expression changed to anger.

            I knew what Skittery had done. No one would be choosing to evict Mush over Cowboy. Now Cowboy would either have to go around pleading or take it like a man.

**The Votes**

Blink

            Did I really need to be asked? Did we even need to take this stupid vote? We all knew how it was going to end up. If Mush got evicted, I would have to go on a murderous rampage, and that just doesn't happen. Well, not usually, anyway.

            Besides, Mush had become my best friend, not to mention my confidant. Almost like a brother to me. Well…he didn't really feel like a _brother_…but close enough. It was a weird kind of thing that no one else seemed to get.

            There was no way I would ever vote to evict him. Hell, if it came down to me and him for the money, and I was suddenly told to make the decision myself, I probably wouldn't have the heart to vote against him. How bad is that?

            Anyway…that's why I voted to evict Cowboy.

Bumlets

            To everyone else, this was a simple decision. Mush is the nice guy, we had to keep him. But if we kept him, I could easily see him winning. It's a no-brainer; the guy everyone loves is going to win, for the simple reason that they love him too much.

            I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let a fellow so-called 'nice guy' take me out of this game. Talk about a major blow to the pride.

            So I voted to evict Mush.

Spot

            Oh, God, what a hard decision!!!

            Yeah, right.

            Let's see…keep someone who's overly cocky and annoying? Or keep someone who's too nice for his own good? 

            Anybody who voted to evict Mush had to be crazy. They needed therapy.

            And guess what? I'm not gonna be in therapy. I voted to evict Cowboy.

Dutchy

            Skittery had to be the smartest guy on the face of the planet. This was a completely foolproof plan. I would have to remind myself to shake his hand when he was actually conscious. 

            Maybe we needed to be more worried about him than originally thought.

            But yeah, you already know. I voted to evict Cowboy, just like every other sane person in this house.

Snitch

            I was sticking by my original judgment. Mush had to go. He was going to be a threat to everyone when it came down to the line. Yeah, he was sweet, but I would rather spend months in a house with demons and win $25,000 dollars than spend months in a house with angels and walk away with nothing.

            I wasn't the insane one in the house. Anyone who trusted Mush was insane.

            I voted to evict Mush.

Specs

            I had talked to quite a few of the housemates about this, and strange as it may seem, the house was divided even on this issue. But as much as I saw the logic in voting out Mush, I just couldn't vote that kid out. It seemed impossible to do, especially when he was up against someone like Cowboy. But that was Skittery's 'master plan', wasn't it? 

            And so, with no further ado, I voted out Cowboy.

Skittery

            Even though I knew it was probably a bad idea to leave Mush in the house, I had to be true to my word. I may be a criminal, but I don't break promises. And I promised that he'd be safe.

            Besides, I did all this to get Cowboy out of the house anyway. I just plain don't like him. You could say he gives me bad vibes, just like Race. But now that Race had vowed me protection, he'd have to follow through, and he was probably going to end up regretting it- because I wouldn't give a single thought to betraying him.

            Of course, I voted to evict Cowboy.

Racetrack

            God, the people in this house are so gullible that it's ridiculous. Skittery played them all like a tuned violin- he had a special grudge against me and Cowboy, and he used everyone else's love for Mush against them in order to get rid of one end of the problem. I was extremely lucky that I'd made that truce with him- otherwise, I knew that I would be the one up for eviction next to Mush. And the same thing would happen…I would be gone in a heartbeat.

            He was smart. Too smart. I may have to go against our little truce sooner than planned- he was a major threat in this house. He had the mind of a gambler and the mind of a criminal mixed up, a deadly combination in any game.

            And so I went against him. He wouldn't know it until after we left but it would feel just as sweet anyway.

            I voted to evict Mush.

Itey

            I honestly didn't want to think about this as 'just a game'. I was choosing which one of my friends I wanted to cut out of this, and it hurt. It hurt like hell.

            So I went to Spot. He didn't think twice about it- he knew for sure it was better to evict Cowboy. What was I supposed to think? He seemed so certain, and I was so UNcertain…

            So, I voted to evict Cowboy.

**The Eviction**

Cowboy

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hello, Sarah."

            I looked around our circle of people, wondering how many of them voted against me. All of them? All but one, if I was lucky? This wasn't fair. No one who goes up against Mush in this decision would win.

            "The votes are in. Are you ready to hear the next evictee from the house?"

            No. No, no, no, I wasn't ready. This wasn't right. I deserved a rematch or something!

            "By a vote of 6 to 3, Mush…"

            WHAT!!! I could see the stunned look on everyone's faces as that name was spoken.

            "You can unpack your bags. Cowboy, you are hereby evicted from the big brother house."

            Duh. Should've known she'd pull a trick like that. I put on my best fake smile and stood up, giving hugs all the way around. Then I picked up my bag and headed for the door.

            "Aren't you gonna go say goodbye to Skittery?" Bumlets asked gently.

            I didn't even turn around. "No."

            And with that, I left the big brother house.

AN: Oh, that last stroke of insensitiveness kills me! But anyway, next update will be Wednesday evening or Thursday afternoon, probably. (I sleep through morning. There is no morning for me. ^__^) So…please review so I have something to look forward to!


	14. The World has the Nerve to Keep Spinning

AN: Guess where I am…that's right, Chicago! Okay…no one cares…you're all thinking, 'I wish she would shut her trap and get on with the story'…but a few notes first. I stopped at a library for like two seconds to check my reviews so I would be able to respond.

First of all, I'm sooooooo sorry if I offended any Christians out there. I'm just going by the _general_ consensus that Christians think homosexuality is wrong- I don't mean to stereotype at all. I know some Christians out there don't mind or even are homosexual themselves, and to all of you, kudos- fine by me. I'm sorry to say you're outnumbered, and that's what I'm going by. Again, I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

And thank you to all the first time reviewers- and first time slash readers (Wahoo! Look, I'm converting people!)…I really appreciate your reviews, because sometimes I have to beat myself with a large stick to sit down and write because I'm a lazy bum, and your reviews are really pushing me forward! Thank you all!

Okay, enough babble. It's the beginning of week three, and time for the head of household and food competitions. I'm stealing a contest from the newest big brother season just because I thought it was absolutely hilarious, so don't shoot me for copying!

Itey

            I really was wondering if Racetrack had somehow caused Skittery's fall. I know it's probably childish to think that way, but everyone knew that those two were at each other's throats. But then again, wouldn't the cameras have caught it? They would've kicked Racetrack out if he did anything like that, right?

            It was just weird, you know, how they were the only ones in the room when it happened. And how guilty Race acted when we first ran in. But Skittery didn't seem concerned. 

            "Skittery?"

            No answer. I walked into the darkened room, noting that he was fast asleep, and covered in a sheen of sweat. He stirred but didn't wake up as I entered, and I set a glass of water down on his nightstand. He'd insisted that no one- including Mush- was to do anything more than check on him for fear of getting the whole house sick. And everyone in that bedroom had temporarily moved to evicted house guest's beds.

            I was about to leave, but even in the dim light, I noticed something odd. I brushed Skittery's hair back- it was always hanging in his face- and I noticed a long scar running across his forehead and down the side of his face, just below the hairline. I shuddered as I wondered what possibly could've caused that.

            I studied him carefully and turned his arm over so that it was wrist up- and for the first time, I saw the scars all over his wrists and arms. Most of them very strategically placed.

            I may be considered the 'kid' of the house, but even I knew what that meant. But I'd never even thought of him as the suicidal type.

            I wondered what the other scars were from, the ones not on his wrist and not so easily self inflicted. Were they from drug buys gone bad? Fights while he was high?

            Abuse?

            I backed away from the bed and swallowed hard as he shifted again, and then I practically leaped out of the room. I had to tell someone.

            Would he want me to tell anyone?

            I lingered in the hallway, breathing hard and not quite sure what to do. If I told, there was a good chance Skittery would get mad. Very mad. And from what I understood, you didn't want to make him mad. Besides, what good would it do to tell? He was already a not-so-trusted member of the household, and I would completely alienate him if anyone else knew. I couldn't do that to him.

            "Itey? Are you okay?"

            I spun around in a panic and came face to face with Spot, and I let out a huge breath, realizing that I'd been holding it for who knows how long. Spot studied me carefully, his eyes narrowing.

            "I'm fine." I muttered, turning away from him.

            "Now, I ain't falling for that again. You look like you saw a ghost in there. What's wrong?"

            "I…can't tell you."

            His expression turned deadly serious. "Did he threaten you? Did he hurt you? I swear, I'll-"

            "NO!" I lowered my voice, having scared him to death. "No…I just…well, come on."

            I took one last glance around the hallway to make sure no one was around, and then I grabbed Spot's arm and dragged him into the room where Skittery was still fitfully sleeping. If I didn't tell Spot, he was going to get very suspicious very fast. And he had a temper not to be tampered with, just like Skittery.

            I led him to the bed and pointed at Skittery's arm, still laying just as I had left it on the bed. Spot tilted the lamp to get a better look, and I saw him shake his head.

            "No one knows about this. And that's the way it's gonna stay." He hissed after a moment of thought, and then he put an arm around my shoulders and led me further from the bed, looking me in the eye. "We don't know how old those scars are, and therefore we don't have the right to make assumptions, right?"

            I nodded, and he patted me on the back. "Let's just do him a big favor and keep this our little secret. He's already in bad enough shape as it is."

Bumlets

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            "Are you ready for this week's food and head of household competition?"

            We all said yes, but nobody really was. That week had been exhausting, and looking at a chair set up on a platform and two tables twenty feet away with a tray and champagne glass on one didn't help the mood- this was going to be interesting.

            "I suppose you want an explanation of the set-up in front of you. For one, the chair is very special. Once you sit down and are seatbelted in tightly, it will begin to spin…very fast."

            The chair began to spin, and everyone groaned at the idea of sitting in it while it was moving that fast- I, however, could already see my advantage forming. I was a dancer. I _knew_ how to spin like that without getting dizzy.

            "After thirty seconds, the chair will stop. You will then be timed as you stand up, walk to table number one, pick up the tray with the full glass of champagne on it, and carry the tray over to table two without the champagne glass falling over."

            Wow. Skittery would probably end up glad he got to sit this one out. He was already sick enough without spinning in that chair for thirty seconds.

            Sarah continued the explanation. "If four out of the nine of you get it to the other table without pitching the glass over, you win the food competition. The person with the fastest successful time will be head of household. Specs, go ahead and strap yourself in."

            Specs sighed and sat down in the morbid looking chair, snapping the belt and tightening it. He obviously wasn't a dancer in any way, because he decided that the best thing to do was squeeze his eyes shut as tight as he could. When the thirty seconds came to an end, he could barely stand, let alone walk in a straight line. And the glass fell on the first step he took.

            As a dancer, you learned that when you spin you pick one thing to concentrate on, and that should be the first and last thing you see in the spin. It requires whipping your head around very fast, like you'll see any ice skaters do in their spins.

            Blink had limited dance experience, but since his concentration wasn't ballet, he didn't quite have it perfected. But he managed to make it, getting the champagne to table two without it falling over. His time ended up being 15.45 seconds.

            Itey obviously didn't grasp the concept. The poor kid went down, tray and all.

            I was surprised with Mush. I'm not really sure how he did it, but even without using a dancer's technique he was surprisingly sure-footed coming off the platform. He was like a pro and managed to succeed in a startling 11.56 seconds. 

            But that's where our luck ended. Spot went next, and he dropped the tray just three feet from table two.

            And Dutchy? I felt sorry for him.

            He came off the platform, and instead of heading toward table one, he took one shaky step and then he fell over backward in a dead faint. He was out like a light. He had to be carried out of the way so everyone else could finish up, and Specs sat by him, keeping a close eye on him and waiting for him to come to.

            Then Race and Snitch both tipped the glass. We had lost the food portion of the competition already- PB + J for the next week. But I still had a chance to win head of household.

            I wasn't a bit dizzy as I stepped down from the chair, and I broke into a sprint and got the champagne to table 2 in 8.34 seconds.

            "Congratulations, Bumlets. You are the new head of household. But I'm sorry to say that it's PB + J for the next week for the entire house." Sarah said.

            Talk about a bittersweet victory…

AN: Funness! Spinning newsies until they pass out is more fun than it looks. I hope everyone else enjoyed it too. I know the chapter started out morbid, but I hope the spinning newsies made up for it. Next chapter- nominations and veto competition! Prepare to be shocked!

Also, if this chapter actually gets posted, I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Don't be surprised if my updates are a bit spurratic (?) for the next few days, cause I'm having major computer issues here. I'm just glad to get ONE chapter up- getting on the internet at all takes hours. So I'm not sure how much updating I'll be doing until this all gets resolved, which SHOULD be pretty soon. I guess that kills the uber-update idea……oh well……please review!


	15. You Nominated WHO?

AN: Sorry about the time between updates…..my computer is acting up….so here's chapter 15! And yes, I think Bumlets is a little over snobby and self-righteous…but I'm going to keep him that way just for sake of storyline. Don't kill me.

This chapter is going to start out with the nominations, then we're going to listen to each of the house guests give their say, and then maybe the veto competition.

Also, I've been thinking about bringing in a different family member for each house guest and doing the 'interview the family' again. What do you guys think? 

Bumlets

            They had no idea who I was going to nominate. I could tell. And that made them all nervous. And the truth was, I was having trouble with the decision myself.

            I had been planning on putting up Skittery, but right now he was still recovering from the concussion- I wasn't that cheap. He wouldn't be able to compete for his own veto, and I felt it wouldn't be fair to nominate him. But I'd get him next time.

            "Bumlets?"

            I looked up from my book and there, in the doorway, stood Race.

            "What do you need?" I asked, and he hesitated a moment.

            "Can I…can I talk to you for just a sec?"

            That was weird. Race barely ever talked to me, letting alone going out of his way to do so. And that made me suspicious.

            "Yeah. Come on in."

            He walked in and sat beside me on the bed, and I shoved my book aside, sitting up and looking him in the eye. It was worthless- that gambler wasn't going to let anything out through his eyes. This was purely a big poker game to him.

            "I wanted to offer you a deal."

            Oh, so that was it. He was cutting deals to stay in the house. "I'm listening."

            "Skittery and I cut a truce. I don't touch him, he doesn't touch me. No one else knows, except for you, that is. I talked to him again today and we agreed that we want you in on this truce."

            Wow. Skittery and Race cut a deal? That seemed unreal. But then again, they were both very tricky people. I should've expected a move like that.

            "Why me?"

            He seemed to be getting more excited about the idea by the second. "Because that's what no one will expect. They all think that Skittery hates me and you hate me. And you probably do. But we're not supposed to be bringing personal vendettas into this game, and _everyone else is_. This alliance could save your ass."

            He was right. If we could keep up our façade of hating each other, then our alliance wouldn't be noticed until it was much too late. We were the X factor, the secret that could bring the rest of the house to their knees.

            Race saw the indecision in my face, and smiled as he continued. "And if you're worried about it coming down to the line with the three of us, Skittery and I have agreed that when it does come to that, there's a break off point. Every man for himself come the finish line."

            Sarah suddenly broke in and announced that it was time for nominations, and Race looked at me expectantly, and then stuck out his hand.

            "I've stuck out my neck on this one. If you wanted to, you could put Skittery and I up and kill our little alliance. What's your pick, Bumlets?"

            I stared him down for a moment, and then I shook hands with him.

            "You've got a deal."

            We headed for the main room, and I couldn't help but smile. My nomination would work out perfectly, and I would get rid of one person that I'd hated all along. 

            Everyone was gathered together already, the tension hanging heavily in the air. I could feel it just as well as the people who I could possibly put up. I noticed that Skittery was there also- he'd been doing things around the house all day today, trying to get his feet back under him for the next head of household competition.

            "Alright, people. As head of household I had to nominate two people. I just went by the game, so let's do this."

            I reached down and took the first key out of the box. "Specs…you're safe."

            I handed Specs his key, and he sighed with relief, as did Dutchy. 

            Next key. "Race…you're safe."

            No reaction there. He knew he'd be safe.

            Next key. "Snitch…you're safe."

            He looked a bit surprised, and I didn't blame him. It had been a hard decision not to put him up.

            Next key. "Blink…you're safe."

            Another hard decision there. But strategy won out eventually- Blink may be a strong competitor, but eventually someone would kick him out. It was inevitable. And that left it off of my shoulders.

            Next key. "Dutchy…you're safe."

            Dutchy heaved a sigh of relief and grabbed his key, sharing a glance with Specs as he sat down.

            Next key. "Skittery…you're safe."

            Another wave of disbelief went through everyone. I saw Blink and Mush share a look of worry- it was almost cute the way they had this 'secret way' that they looked at each other. They could have an entire conversation with one glance.

            It was down to Spot, Itey, and Mush. And everyone looked even more nervous than they had been when they first walked in. 

            Last key. "And last but not least…Mush, you're safe."

            Itey looked absolutely floored, and Spot just looked annoyed. I looked at both of them, trying to push down the guilt that was rising up in me for nominating Itey.

            "I nominated you two just for game purposes. Spot, you're too strong…Itey, you're not strong enough. That's just the way it goes."

            With that, everyone went to the main hallway to hang up their keys, mostly in silence.

************************************************************************************ 

Specs

            This has got to be heaven for now. No parents to tell me what to do…or who to kiss, for that matter. I'm free from everything as long as I don't step out those doors.

            But once I'm out…that is gonna be hell on earth. 

            My dad would probably disown me. Either that or just shoot me. When I first walked in, I was scared to death and I wanted to go home. Now I never want to leave.

            I know my sister wouldn't care. Hell, she'd probably applaud me. Unlike our father, she's very tolerant. Mom? She'l just give me the silent treatment. The disappointed glances, the crying in her bedroom at night. She'll hope to guilt me out of it.

            But this is one thing that I can't be guilted out of. I mean, it's Dutchy, for heaven's sake! If they'd just _look_ at him…really _look, _and see him like I do…there wouldn't be a problem.

            But that's never gonna happen.

            So I'm going to enjoy my time in paradise while I've got it.

Blink

            I truly don't understand why Bumlets nominated Itey. He wasn't a threat or anything…he was just a kid. I was really starting to not like Bumlets. He didn't know what he was doing. If he were smart, he would've nominated someone like Race.

            Mush can't figure it out either, and usually he has an insight that none of us have. He can usually tell what you're thinking just by looking at you, which does not come in handy when you're keeping something from him. Cause he knows. And those three people who voted to evict him when he was up against Cowboy? I'd like to hunt them down and kill them someday. Well, not really, but you get my point.

            But, anyway…this game is quickly degrading. Nerves are fraying, people are getting very mad, and times are basically rough. But if I win that veto, Itey is off the block and Race is on. No doubt.

Skittery

            Bumlets took the bait, and now Race and I are safe. That is, unless someone wins veto and puts one of us up. But I have the feeling that I'm a bit safer than Race, at least for the moment, anyway.

            But God, I feel like hell. I feel like I got hit by a bulldozer…or two. I don't know what happened in the kitchen- all I remember is waking up in my bed with Blink looking at me like I'd come back from the dead.

            But then again, for me, waking up unconscious in strange places isn't a rare occurrence. But that's a whole 'nother story.

What Bumlets did just kills me. I think he was trying to do the same thing I did- put up someone well liked and someone not so well liked in order to get out who he wanted. There was one flaw in that plan, though- Itey may be a cute kid, but he isn't half as well liked as Mush. If Bumlets wasn't careful, his half baked plans would backfire on him.

Itey

            I don't get it. I just don't get it. What did I do wrong? Why was I put up instead of someone like Blink or Skittery? Not only that, but I was put up against Spot. What kind of a move was that?

            I didn't know what to do other than try my hardest for the veto. Which brought another question to mind.

            Spot had been nice to me so far. But if he got the veto, would he take me off the block, or would the game prevail?

Race

            Okay…I did not expect Bumlets to do that. That was a really dumb move. Sure, we needed to get rid of Spot, but that would come in due time. What he did was a desperate move to follow up Skittery's move.

            But that certainly didn't ruin the alliance. Nobody even suspected a thing. And by the time they did suspect that something was up, it would be too late. All we had to do was keep up the façade of hate. It would work. It had to.

Spot

            Here I am again…on the block. I expected it. No one here seems to like me at all, except for Itey, who practically worships the ground I walk on. But that's okay. I don't mind. He's like the little brother I never had.

            I'll probably get evicted. I've accepted that. But I hope Itey realizes that since $25,000 dollars is at stake here, if I get the power of veto, I'm off that block. I have to look after my own interests.

            Call me selfish, but…it's just a game.

            Isn't it?

Dutchy

            I don't want the veto. Truly. I'll throw the competition if I have to. I don't want that decision laid on my shoulders this week. Cause I could form bad relationships with quite a few people in the house no matter what decision I make.

            Things had gotten a whole lot tenser in this house, and it's really bugged me. People were keeping secrets, people were getting over competitive…but I guess that's what you get in any situation like this one. But I was staying out of that whole aspect of it. The money _almost _didn't matter now. 

            Almost.

Snitch

            I was shocked that I didn't get nominated. I thought for sure that I'd be on the block this week after what I'd done last week- nominating Blink and Mush. Maybe it's just my paranoia working overtime or something. I felt sorry for Itey- you could just tell he didn't see that one coming. 

            But that's what this is about. The surprises, the twists, the turns, the loyalties, the betrayals…it's all a part of the game.

Mush

            I don't know what's wrong with me. I honestly don't know. I grew up in a very conservative family. Every time I met someone who was gay, my parent's voices rang in my head, telling me that they were awful people, and that I should avoid them.

            Now Dutchy and Specs were two of my best friends in the house. They were gay, but they weren't awful people.

            And now, every time I see Blink, I get this weird feeling. This unsettled feeling, a dizziness that I haven't felt before.

            That makes me wonder. But if my parents are right, my instincts would make me one of those awful people. One of those people that mom and dad would never allow to step foot in the house if they could help it. 

            It wasn't fair. I shouldn't feel like this. No one should have to feel like this. It was almost making me sick to my stomach. So what can I do about it?

            Just ignore it. Leave it alone. It's only a game.

            Just keep telling yourself it's only a game.

            You couldn't possibly be in love…

AN: Okay people, one that note, I bid this chapter adieu! Please review!

My computer is all fixed now, and though I've taken on another fic on top of this one (Soldiers At Heart), I'm going to try and at least update once a day now that the computer isn't crashing every other second. Give me reviews, cause reviews are like warm chocolate chip cookies- you never can have enough! 


	16. Turn of the Tide

AN: This chapter is going to be VERY fun. And the next chapter too. You guys have NO IDEA what I've planned for the guys. I can't believe what I'm gonna be putting them through in the next two chapters…but you guys are probably getting curious. So read on.

 

Blink

            I was scared.

            As we walked out into the backyard for the veto competition, there were eight long mats (Skittery wasn't competing), a table with two buckets and handcuffs on it at one end and a bucket on the other end of the mat. I had no clue what we were about to do.

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hello, Sarah."

            "Bumlets, as head of household, you are not eligible. You may, however, watch, as this promises to be very entertaining." Sarah said, and Bumlets smiled as he sat down in a lawn chair.

            "House guests, please walk to the table marked with your name."

            I found the table marked with my name and stood in front of it, looking into the buckets. One was filled with water and apples, and the other appeared to have flour in it. That made me nervous.

            "Alright, guys…we're going to be playing a complicated version of 'bobbing for apples'." Sarah explained. I caught Mush's glance and I could tell we were both thinking the same thing.

            What the hell did flour and handcuffs have to do with bobbing for apples?

            "Bumlets, please use the handcuffs on the tables to handcuff each house guest while I explain."

            Great. Exactly what I needed- to be handcuffed.

            Sarah continued the explanation as Bumlets walked down the line, snapping handcuffs on everyone. "When the timer starts, you will have three minutes to complete the objective. You will start by getting an apple out of the bucket- using only your mouth- and carrying it to the other end of the mat and putting it in the bucket on the other side."

Bumlets pulled my hands behind me and snapped the handcuffs on, snickering the whole time. I could tell he was enjoying this way too much.

Sarah continued on. "Then you will come back to this end and you will proceed to use only your mouth to bob for a marshmallow in the flour, and then carry it to the other bucket as well. You will continue alternating, and whoever has the most apples and marshmallows when the time is up wins veto. Does everyone understand?"

            Oh, for heaven's sake. If my face was soaking wet from bobbing for apples, that flour was gonna stick like glue. But of course, that's what big brother wanted. They always had to make it difficult.

            "No questions? Bumlets, are they all handcuffed?"

            "Yep."

            "Good. House guests, on your mark…get set…go!"

            I practically dived into the bucket of water, finding an apple and getting a hold of it, coming up and carrying it to the other bucket. That was the easy part. Now I had to 'bob for a marshmallow'.

            I was reluctant to stick my face in a bowl of flour, but I had to. I took a deep breath and went for it, practically choking on the thick powder. I found a marshmallow pretty easily, and sneezed violently as I carried it to the other side. I almost fell flat on my face- I could barely see, and I could barely breathe. And it didn't get any better as the contest went on.

            But every contest has to end. And this one couldn't end too soon. As soon as I heard Sarah's voice I spit out the marshmallow and prayed to God that Bumlets would un-handcuff me so I could get this gunk off my face.

            "Time is up. Bumlets, take off their handcuffs. Congratulations, Spot…with 22 marshmallows and apples, you have won the power of veto."

Itey

            I was done for. I knew it. Spot would get himself off the block, and Bumlets would put up someone else, and I would get kicked out. It was hopeless.

            Oh, well. Time for the veto meeting, and I was nervous. Spot was holding the nomination bag in his hand, and the replacement key bag in the other hand, and he looked ready to announce.

            "Hi guys. Time for the veto meeting." He said, clearing his throat. "No flowery speeches. Let's just do this."

            He pulled a key out of the nomination bag, but I couldn't see the name on it. I didn't need to.

            "I chose to use the power of veto. Itey…you're safe."

            I swear, my jaw hit the floor as Spot put my key around my neck. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. I tackled Spot in a hug, ignoring the snickers from the other house guests. He gently pushed me away, and then he opened the replacement bag.

            "And as replacement…Bumlets chose Snitch."

            Wow. Talk about a switch. Now Spot was up against Snitch for eviction.

            The meeting quickly dispersed, and I grabbed Spot by the arm before he left the room.

            "I just…wanted to thank you. That was real selfless, what you did."

            He smiled and ruffled my hair. "Hey, anything for my little bro."

**The Votes**

Blink

            I didn't really want to evict either of them- neither was high on my list of competitors. But I had to go by my gut instinct. Sure, what Spot did was very nice and all, but now he risked getting evicted. And personally, I saw him as a bigger threat than Snitch when it came to the competitions. 

            So, I chose to evict Spot.

Bumlets

            Sure, Spot was a strong competitor, and one of the more fierce guys in this house. He's definitely a threat.

            But Snitch is smarter, hands down. He knew the game, and so far, he'd played it well. And we couldn't have someone like that stay in the house if we could help it. People like that are the ones who get you in the back.

            So I voted to evict Snitch.

Dutchy

            Spot had first given me the vibe that he was an annoying brat who I wouldn't be able to stand for five more minutes. But ever so slowly, he was coming around. And what he did, giving up his chance of definitely not getting evicted for Itey…that really impressed me. It really did. 

            Maybe I wouldn't mind having him around as much as I thought I would. I mean, everyone deserves a second chance.

            So I voted to evict Snitch.

Specs

            Spot had shot himself in the foot. Although I honestly didn't know who would be evicted, he was taking a huge risk by letting Itey off the hook like that. Sure, a great move between friends, but this was supposed to be about the game.

            Spot is a great competitor. He proved that in the veto competition. And I couldn't stand the thought of that strong of a competitor hanging around any longer.

            I chose to evict Spot.

Skittery

            Spot is much too hasty for his own good; not exactly the brightest crayon in the box. Sure, put him in a physical contest and he always does pretty good (unless you spin him around in a chair), but he doesn't really have the brains to go with it.

            That's why I chose to evict Snitch. Had to get rid of the guy who knew what he was doing.

Race

            Snitch was really starting to get under my skin. His conversations consisted of nods and one word answers, and I couldn't get a single thing out of that. I couldn't figure him out. And when I can't figure someone out, I don't like to be around them.

            Needless to say, I voted to evict Snitch. Spot could wait.

Itey

            I didn't even have to think about it. After what Spot did for me, I wouldn't betray him. No way.

            I voted to evict Snitch.

Mush

            I couldn't decide. I felt like both of them were threats to the game, and both of them I could live without. But choosing one to evict would be hard, just the same. So, being me, of course I go and ask Blink what I should do. He ultimately told me that it was my decision, but he said that Spot _was_ a stronger competitor in the competitions.

            He didn't need to say any more. 

            I chose to evict Spot.

**The Eviction**

Snitch

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            "Time for the eviction."

            I shifted nervously in my chair. I honestly wasn't expecting to be evicted when I was up against Spot, but there was always that chance. 

            "Are you ready to hear the results?"

            We all nodded, and I gave Spot a thumbs up as Sarah prepared to read the results.

            "By a vote of 5 to 3…Snitch, you are evicted from the big brother house."

            Oh my God. They'd actually evicted me. They'd actually chosen Spot to stay in the house over me.

            I picked up my bag and hugged everyone goodbye, plastering a smile on my face as I headed for the door. This numb feeling had overtaken me, this feeling that said this couldn't actually be happening, that I was dreaming.

            But it was happening. The cold metal of the doorknob proved that as I turned it and walked out of the big brother house.

AN: The next chapter should end up being a favorite. I'm already looking forward to writing it. It's going to be VERY Fun. It's the head of household competition…

Review! I love reviews! 


	17. Near Misses and Green Slime

AN: Time for quite possibly the most fun competition we'll have with our boys…I think I may have overdone it on this one…naaah. We love torturing them, don't we?

The next chapter is already in the plans- it will be another 'interview the family' chapter. And it ought to be quite interesting too.

Blink

            The set up in the backyard was the biggest yet- it looked like an army training course. First a wall with ropes hanging off it, and on the other side of that, a pool of what seemed to be green slime. After that came the barbed wire that had to be crawled under, and then a path of tires. At the end was a stand with a bell on it.

            "It doesn't look that bad." Mush whispered to me.

            "Yeah, well, they always add somethin'. It can't be that easy." Spot said. He was right. This couldn't be it.

            "Hello house guests."

            Ugh. Sarah. "Hi, Sarah."

            "The head of household and food competition this week is this obstacle course."

            "Yeah, so what's the catch?" Skittery muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

            "The catch is in the box sitting in front of Spot."

            We all looked at the small brown box, and Spot sighed heavily as he reached forward and flipped it open. Inside lay one pair of handcuffs.

            "What is this, handcuff week?" I asked, my annoyance shining through. I was still sneezing flour from the last competition involving handcuffs.

            Sarah ignored my comment and began to explain. "You will be handcuffed to a partner, and then you will complete the course. The pair with the fastest time gets to compete for head of household. And if the fastest time is under 40 seconds, then you win the food competition as well. Does everyone understand?"

            "Yes, Sarah." I said as snidely as I could manage. 

            "Just for that tone, you and your partner can go first, Blink."

            I groaned in frustration. Women and their moods…

            She just snickered and continued. "Spot, please handcuff Blink to Mush."

            I tried to concentrate on the course as Spot snapped the handcuffs onto my wrist and then onto Mush's. I had that strange twinge in my stomach again, that weird feeling that I couldn't shake if I tried. But I tried anyway.

We stepped up to the starting line, and I only needed to glance at Mush to know that he was ready.

            "Ready…set…go!"

            We took off and we each grabbed a rope with our free hand, and I did a hasty count to three and we jumped and planted our feet on the wall. My left hand was not going to last long being the only thing holding me up though, but Mush had a stroke of genius. He moved his hand that was in the handcuff and intertwined his fingers with mine, and then we alternated moving so we had something to put our weight on. It still felt like it took way too long to reach the top, and when we got there, we ignored the ladders on the other side. He counted to three and we took a flying leap into the slime.

            Oh, man, that stuff was absolutely disgusting. Up to my waist, thick, slimy, and worst of all, green. I just don't like that color. Especially when it pertains to slime. 

            As I hit, the coldness of it made me gasp and almost just stop moving altogether. What did they do, dye some liquid nitrogen green? I couldn't move in this stuff!

            Mush yanked me forward, seeming completely unaffected by the temperature as he dragged me through the slime. It almost reminded me of that dare I had taken, jumping in the freezing cold pool during a storm.

As soon as we crawled out of the pool we had to drop to our stomachs and start crawling underneath the barbed wire. We had to move on our stomachs for quite a distance before we could stand up again.

            Now came the tires.

            "Left, right, on my word." I said, and he nodded.

            "Go!"

            Left, right, left, right…damn, this kid was fast! I could barely keep up with him as he took the tires like a pro. I made a jump for the bell and rang it, but obviously I had surprised Mush in doing that, because I jerked him forward and we both ended up on the ground.

            It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't landed right on top of him.

            My lips were less than an inch from his, his deep, chocolate eyes filled with surprise as he stared up at me. Time seemed to stand still in that one precious moment. If I just leaned forward, just a little more…

            _NO! WHAT WAS I THINKING!?!?_

            I jumped up as fast as I could, and only succeeded in getting yanked down by the handcuffs again and knocking the air out of him as I fell on him again. I was a little more careful this time, rolling off him instead of jumping and laying on my back in the grass beside him as he struggled for breath. 

            I could hear the other guys laughing hysterically, but this was far from being funny.

            I had wanted to kiss him. Mush. Another _boy_.

            I had almost done it, too.

Dutchy

            _They had been so damn close!_

They were driving me absolutely insane. How could they not see this? Were they honestly totally oblivious to what was going on?

            Well, obviously not. If only Blink could've seen the look on his face. He had gone from lust to terror in just under a second. That had to be a new world record. And poor Mush…he was still gasping for breath, even though we'd already taken off the handcuffs.

            "God…I'm sorry, Mush…" Blink said, his voice trembling noticeably. I shot Specs a glance, and he arched his eyebrow.

            "It's…okay." Mush said, one hand on his chest as he slowly recovered from the blow. Blink stood beside him, his hands shoved in his pockets- even the air around them was filled with tension. They both knew what had almost happened. There was no question about that.

            Specs slipped an arm around me from behind and spun me into a quick kiss. "Let them take their time. They'll figure it out." He whispered.

            "Blink, Mush, your time was 42 seconds. Spot, you're next with Specs."

            I laughed at the look on Specs's face, and then I pushed him over to Spot. "Have fun."

            Those two weren't meant to do _anything_ together. It took them a full minute to find their way up the wall, and from then on out, they just stumbled through the rest of it. They knew they had lost, but they still finished it out and rang the bell.

            "Spot and Specs, your time was 1 minute and 27 seconds. Dutchy…big brother would like to ask a favor of you."

            I looked up, wondering what in the world big brother would want to ask me, of all people. "What?"

            "Since we have an uneven number of people, would you go twice?"

            Shit. No, I didn't. But I was just too darn nice.

            "Sure."

            "Good. Then Bumlets and Dutchy, you're next."

            We had our handcuffs put on and stepped up to the starting line. We basically just tried to use the same technique that we'd seen Mush and Blink use, but it obviously doesn't work well for anyone except them. We just weren't fast enough.

            And damn, that slime was cold! I had been expecting it to be cold from the way the others acted, but it was _freezing_!

            "Bumlets, Dutchy, your time was 57 seconds. Itey, Skittery…you're next."

            I sat down and looked around to see who was left, and I quickly figured out that I would be working with Race. I slipped over to stand beside him, and then I told him my idea. He was laughing the whole time, but he admitted that it just might work. Now I had to think of a way to explain it to Specs without him getting jealous.

            By the time I had explained my plan Skittery and Itey were done, with a respectable time of 45 seconds. Race and I had the handcuffs snapped on, and I laughed even as we walked up to the starting line. This was going to be interesting, to say the least.

            "Ready…set…go!" Sarah said, and we took off to the wall. We used Mush's and Blink's technique to get up and over the wall, and once again, I was waist deep in freezing cold sludge. Out, under the barbed wire…and here's where my plan came into effect.

            Everyone else had spent valuable seconds counting or deciding on a way to get across this. However, Race and I wouldn't have to work in unison. I turned to face him and jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. He was through the tires in a matter of seconds, and he rang the bell and I dropped to the ground.

            "Congratulations, guys…that was 39.88 seconds. You've won the food competition. Dutchy and Race, you are now going to compete for head of household." Sarah said. 

            Specs couldn't help but laugh, even though he did seem a little irked. Probably jealous. I could just tell.

            "You're somethin', you know that?" he said, running a hand through his hair.

            I grinned. "Yep. I know."

            "Alright. Race, go through the course." Sarah said. Being un-handcuffed, it only took him 23 seconds to complete the course. But I was utterly drained. I had already been through that course twice. I lost by two seconds.

            "Congratulations, Race. You are the new head of household."

            Specs ruffled my hair playfully, pulling me close and whispering, "Don't worry. I still like you better."

            I played along. "Even though I lost? Cause you know, my life is over now that I lost…"

            He looked at me, amusement shining in his eyes. "You're something. You're really something,"

            "You said that already."

            "Only to make sure you know I mean it."

            "You'd only have to say it once for me to believe it, Specs."

            I kissed him and then we headed inside, eager to change out of our slime-caked clothes.

AN: Okay. This chapter took a long time, but it was well worth it to see Blink and Mush's episode there, and the fluffy Dutchy/Specs stuff. Next chapter is the families, and then the next one is going to be nominations, and an awful shock for the house…


	18. A Male Nun?

AN: This is another 'meet the family' chapter. Time for some more strange relatives!

Sarah

            "30 seconds!"

            I wasn't going to survive this. Meeting more of their insane family members? Why did we even have to do this? No one cared what their parents thought. Or their sister, or brothers, or aunts, etc…

            "15!"

            I wasn't getting paid enough for this. Oh, well. My first big time job…I had to do what they told me. And interviewing the family…that was just part of my paycheck.

            "5!"

            I put on my best smile for the camera, and then waited for the red light to come on.

            "Hello. Today we're going to be meeting more family members that have agreed to come in for an interview. We'll start with Specs's mother, Aubrey."

            A woman walked in, looking very high strung and smiling fake for the cameras as she sat down and fidgeted the whole time I spoke.

            "Thank you for coming, Aubrey."

            "You're welcome."

            "Here's the obvious question…everyone wants to know how you feel about Specs and Dutchy's relationship."

            She fidgeted some more. "It's just a fling. I'm sure when he leaves the house he'll come to his senses."

            "You're sure about that?"

            "I'm positive. He's just been stuck in that house for too long. It's messing with his mind."

            "And what do you think of the other house guests?"

            "I think they're all insane. I think that big brother needs to give them courtesy therapy while they're here."

            Whoa. What an opinion. Who's mind had been messed with here?

            "Do you see any possibility of Specs winning?"

            She fidgeted some more, and I wondered if she had drank too much coffee or something. "I suppose he might. I really don't know. And frankly, I don't care. I wouldn't mind him coming home today."

            "Well, thank you, Aubrey."

            She got up and walked out. Turn back to the camera, read the cue card. "Our next guest will be Bumlets's father."

            The door opened and a very large man walked in, and then strutted to the chair. He sat down and flashed me a smile.

            "Hello, Mr. Warkan."

            "Hello, Sarah."

            "So what do you think so far?"

            He thought for a moment, leaning forward in the chair. "I think he's playing the game smart. I really do. He's a smart kid."

            "And what about the other house guests?"

            "They're very interesting people. Bumlets is really getting an education of the best kind, spending time with other people his age who he never would've met otherwise. I think it's good for him."

            "And what about the relationships in the house?"

            He rolled his eyes. "Mush and Blink need to be given a candlelight dinner. They really do. Some quality time. Cause they're both the most naïve people on earth when it comes to this."

            "Are you saying we should put thoughts in their head?"

            "You can't put thoughts in their heads if they're _already there_. They've just got to figure it out."

            "Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Warkan."

            "No problem. Anytime."

            He walked out, and I looked back to the cue card. "Our next guest is Race's cousin, Grace."

            A girl that looked a bit younger than Race walked in and sat down, a huge grin on her face. 

            "Hi Grace."

            "Hi, Sarah!"

            Okay, this one didn't seem too bad. Maybe she actually came close to being what you would call normal. "So what do you think of what's going on in the house?"

            She leaned forward and did this weird bouncy thing. "Do you really wanna hear the scoop?"

            "Go right ahead."

            "Well, I mean, gay people usually freak me out, but Specs and Dutchy are just too, like, cute. And Mush and Blink need to be shoved into a dark closet together. Get it? Coming out of the closet? Anyway…"

            Oh God. She sounded like a fucking valley girl. Was she ever going to stop?

            "I have bets going at home on how long Race is gonna last before Skittery kicks his ass. But I wouldn't mind that, cause ya know, like, Race is my cousin, and Skittery is a hottie. I mean, oh my God, he is just, like, too cute. Me and my friends have posters of him in our room that we printed off the internet. Yeah, he's like, hot. Anyway…"

             She was talking so fast I could barely tell what she was saying. This was crazy. She had a time limit. How was I going to stop her?

            "Yeah. Spot is hot too, he's just, like, too short for me, and short guys don't play well on my preferences, ya know? Yeah."

            I couldn't stand it anymore. I broke in, keeping the smile on my face. "Well, thank you for sharing, Grace."

            She continued babbling on and on until she was out the door, and I turned back and eagerly read my next cue card.

            "Next we'll have Itey's father joining us."

            A nicely dressed man walked in, shaking my hand before he sat down. 

            "Hello, Mr. Kent."

            "Hi there Sarah. How are you?"

            Wow. This guy was much too hot to be the father of a teenage boy. "I'm very well. What's your opinion on the happenings in the house?"

            "Well, for one thing, I am going to shake Spot's hand when he gets out. I really appreciate what he's been doing for Itey."

            "Understandably. What about the other house guests?"

            "I think they're all pretty much very nice young men. They seemed a bit edgy to me at first, but they all have their reasons, I suppose. And Itey's learning a lot."

            "Oh, I almost forgot. Is your wife okay? I mean, she was in tears the last time she came."

            "Yes, she's fine. This is the first time Itey's left home for more than a week. She's just worried."

            "Do you think there's a chance that Itey may win?"

            "There's always a chance. I can't really say either way."

            "Well, thank you, Mr. Kent."

            "Anytime, Sarah."

            Whew. That one was a relief. At least semi-normal.

            "Our next guest…well…is not actually a family member…this is Skittery's friend, Ace."

            Oh. My. God. This guy was scary. He had crosses painted on his face, he was wearing makeup, he had a bright neon green Mohawk, and his pants were seven sizes too big. He looked like the grim reaper gone punk. I shook his hand reluctantly and he collapsed into the chair.

            "Hello Ace."

            "Wassup, Sarah?"

            "Not much. So what do you think so far?"

            "I'm surprised everyone's still alive."

            "I beg your pardon?"

            He smiled. "Skittery's like a fuckin' time bomb, dude. You cross him once, he goes off on you and _he doesn't forget_. It's fuckin' crazy, man."

            I arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really."

            "Yeah, dude. You just wait till he goes postal. It's great entertainment, man."

            I swallowed hard, not quite believing him. "I'm sure it will be. What do you think of the other house guests?"

            "They're cool. They're all cool, dude."

            "What about the romantic relationships that seem to be forming?"

            "Well dude, I'm gay, so I don't care. Mush and Blink need a good hit on the head though. They don't have a clue. It's like a fuckin' soap opera, dude."

            "Well…thanks for sharing, Ace."

            "No prob, dude."

            With that he was out the door and I turned to my cue card. "Our next guest is Dutchy's father-in-law."

            The door opened and a nerdy looking guy walked in, adjusting his glasses as he sat down.

            "Hi Mr. Sheriden. How are you?"

            "I'm alright, I'm fine. And you?"

            "Just great. Let's start with the obvious issue here: Specs and Dutchy."

            He shrugged. "Dutchy could've done a whole lot worse. I would rather have him with Specs than most of the females out there. Specs has a good head on his shoulders."

            "And what does Dutchy's mother think?"

            "She's, um…warming up to the idea. Slowly. But I think she's getting to the point of accepting it. She's actually starting to worry about Specs, you know, after he gets out. And she wants me to deliver a message to you for Specs."

            "What's that?"

            "If he gets kicked out before Dutchy…well, even after Dutchy…and he's scared to go to his own home, our home is open to him anytime."

            "That is so sweet! You are a very kind person. Both of you are. I'll be sure to deliver the message when he leaves the house. After all, I'd be the first person to see him when he leaves. Interviews, you know."

            "Thank you."

            "And thank you for your time."

            "The pleasure is all mine, Sarah."

            He left, and the warm fuzzy feeling left with him. I still had three more interviews to do.

            "Our next guest is Spot's aunt, Tina."

            A not-so-great looking woman in a bright pink thigh high dress stepped through the door, doing a 'model walk' to the chair and flipping her not-so-natural blond hair over her shoulder. I practically gagged right then and there. 

            "Hello, Tina."

            "Hi Sarah." She said, her New Jersey accent taking over the whole room. I wanted to get this one over very fast.

            "So what do you think so far?"

            She smiled and did this weird gesture with her hands. "Well, you know, I'd just like to take Itey home and give him a big hug. Isn't he just the cutest little thing on Earth?"

            "Um…well, what do you think of Spot's strategy in the house?"

            "He's a little deary, isn't he? I can see him counting that money right now…"

            "Well, thank you for your opinions."

            "Oh, your welcome, hon."

            She stood up and strutted out, and I moved on, wondering what nightmares I would have from that.

            "Next Blink's ex-girlfriend, Reno, will be joining us to talk."

            A supermodel-worthy girl walked in, wearing a black mini-skirt and platform shoes about seven inches high. Her top was very low cut and form fitting, and her brown hair shimmered in the light.

            I suddenly felt very, very outdone.

            Why the HELL had Blink broken up with HER?

            "Hello, Reno." 

            "Hello, Sarah." She said, flashing a movie-star worthy smile at the camera.

            "Let's start off with an interesting question. What ended your relationship with Blink?"

            "He wouldn't sleep with me."

            Whoa. Back up, rewind, play again. "And the relationship ended over that?"

            "Yeah. I thought it was just because the little brat was a virgin and he was nervous, but I guess I should've seen that he was gay. I mean, who could pass _this_ up?"

            Okay. I officially hated her now.

            "So do you approve of anything that may happen between Mush and Blink?"

            "Oh, yeah. I don't care now. Although I honestly don't get what he sees in a poor country boy."

            "What about the other house guests? Any opinions on them?"

            "Well, I guess I'm a sucker for the feisty criminals. Skittery has got to be my fav out of the house. Specs and Dutchy? It's too bad they're gay. They're very cute."

            "Well, thank you for coming."

            "Yes, well, I need to get back to my _movie set_ now. They're waiting on me." 

            What did Blink ever see in _her_?! I was suddenly glad him and Mush had hit it off.

            "Last but not least, we have Mush's mother here."

            A woman in a plain brown dress walked in, her hair up in a messy bun. She smiled and shook my hand as she sat down.

            "Hello, May."

            "Hello, Sarah."

            "Let's start with the obvious. Mush and Blink. Your comments?"

            "Nothing is going to happen between them. The second Mush steps out that door, I'm dragging him down to the church and locking him in it. I'll make him live in chastity if I have to."

            "Isn't that a little harsh?" I was shocked that she could say all this with nothing more than sweetness in her voice.

            "No."

            Okay. Next question. "And what about the other house guests?"

            "They're demons. Sent straight from hell to tempt and corrupt my precious son." Her eye began to twitch, and she was kind of scaring me. "But he's smarter than that. He won't give in to the demons."

            This. Lady. Was. CRAZY! She was saying all this without inflection, like it was completely normal!

            "And what if something more forms between him and Blink?"

            "Then I will make him a nun if I must."

            Oh God, she was totally serious.

            "I thought only women could be nuns…and aren't you Protestant, not Catholic?"

            "That's beside the point. Nothing will happen. Satan will not take my son. He will not fall into temptation, for the Lord Almighty is with him."

            "Well…interesting opinions. Thank you for coming."

            "May God bless you, Sarah."

AN: That was VERY fun! Next chapter, nominations, and something happens in the house that turns _everything_ upside down…stay tuned…and review!   
 


	19. Conflict and Rain

AN: This is going to be a very interesting chapter. Maybe not fun, but it is PIVOTAL. The house gets the biggest blow yet, and it changes everyone's outlook on their time spent in the house…

Race

            I knew that what I was about to do was very, very stupid. Extremely stupid. But I had to. I was so confident that it would work that it blinded me to the obvious.

            I stood in front of the other house guests as they waited to hear the nominations for the week, and I couldn't help but worry. 

            "Alright people. Time to nominate." I said, pulling the first key from the box. "Blink, you're safe."

            He took his key and sat back down in his seat- across the table from Mush. In other words, as far away from him as he could get. They hadn't spoken to each other since the head of household competition. I guess they thought that if they ignored this, it would go away.

            I had news for them. It wouldn't.

            Next key. "Bumlets, you're safe."

            No big surprise there. I had promised him safety. But then again…promises don't mean much to a gambler.

            Next key. "Dutchy, you're safe."

            He took his key and then replaced his arm around Specs's shoulders.

            Next key. "Spot, you're safe."

            He looked surprised, but he reached out and took his key, throwing it around his neck.

            Next key. "Mush, you're safe."

            Another surprised look. I guess he expected me to nominate him or something.

            Now it was down to the last key, and Specs, Itey, and Skittery were still up. I had promised Skittery he was safe.

            "Specs, you're safe."

            Always remember this: gamblers don't keep promises.

            I could see the shock on Skittery's face as Specs took his key. And I could understand. But the first thing you have to learn when you meet me is that you can't trust me. I could see Bumlets arch his eyebrow and give me this look that basically said, 'do you realize what you just did'.

            Yes, I did realize it.

            And I was scared to death.

            "Well, as you guys can see, I nominated Itey and Skittery. For the game. Meeting dismissed."

            Skittery jerked his head toward the back door and I followed him into the backyard.

            Big mistake.

            He slammed me up against the wall, my feet dangling off the ground. "_What the_ _HELL was that?_" he hissed, and then he dropped me and stepped back, as if saying, 'Explain. Now.'. 

            "It was just a part of the game, Skitts."

            "We had a deal. _A promise._"

            "Yeah, well, I don't keep promises."

            He suddenly got this spark in his eyes, as if I had really struck a chord by saying that. His eyes even seemed to darken as he took a step toward me.

            "_Do you know what I do to people who break their promises?_"

            And just a second later, I was screaming in terror.

Dutchy

            We all heard the scream. And somehow, we all knew what was happening in the backyard. I could hear the shouts from all the way in here, and they became louder as I sprinted for the back door.

            "You dirty rotten liar! I'll kill ya!"

            "Skitts,I-"

            I pulled Skittery off of Race and pulled him to the ground, and then I sat on him. There was no other way to keep him down- he was too strong. I was soon joined by Blink and Spot in holding him down, and Specs dragged Race inside to tend to a bloody nose and a black eye.

            "Skittery, calm down. Just calm down." Mush urged, and slowly, Skittery's body relaxed and his erratic breathing slowed and steadied. Mush looked up at us and nodded, and we let him go.

            It was like releasing a lion into the wild. We stood to the side, waiting to see if he'd go for us or just run. And after a glare at all of us, he stalked inside and we heard the door to the bedroom slam shut.

            "What was all that about?" I asked. He wouldn't have gone postal like that just because of the nomination

            "I'm gonna go talk to Race." I said, and Spot followed me, leaving Blink and Mush alone in the backyard.

Mush

            "Whew…" I said, sitting down on the grass. Blink stood halfway between me and the door for a moment, and indecision hung in the air like a fog.

            Then he turned and headed for the door.

            "Blink."

            He stopped, but he didn't turn around.

            "Can…can we talk?"

            Another long pause.

            He finally spoke, but without turning around. "Some other time, Mush."

            He started to head for the door again, and I could feel my heart being crushed beneath his feet even as he walked. I had lost a friend in a stupid accident. It never should've happened. And whereas before we talked and laughed like old friends, now it was, 'some other time, Mush'.

            And I didn't want to plead. So I let him go.

            I sat in the grass, the sun already setting and the air chilling me. It was about to rain, but I didn't care. I didn't fucking care.

            I didn't want to lose him. Not now, not ever. Especially not over a trivial accident.

            But there was nothing I could do.

            So I let the tears fall.

Blink

            It hurt like hell. I walked out on him, leaving him sitting in the grass, alone.

            Why didn't I turn around?

            Cause if I saw his face, with _that look_ on it, I would've gone back and talked with him. And that was something I couldn't do. I was afraid of what I would say.

            So I went inside and threw on my headphones, sitting on the couch and relaxing.

            I didn't get much peace though. After only a few minutes, the headphones were ripped off my ears from behind.

            "You're an asshole, you know that?" A voice said, and I turned around to face a very pissed off looking Spot. 

            "Yeah, well-"

            "Do you even know what Mush is doing right now?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing. I shook my head.

            "He's sitting in the hammock outside, crying. Because of you."

            I looked out the front window. "It's pouring rain!"

            "Yeah."

            "What in the hell is he thinking?!"

            "He's probably thinking about how much of an asshole you are."

            I jumped up from the couch and ran out the back, and Spot was right. Mush was sitting in the hammock, his back to the door, soaking wet and shaking.

            "Mush, what are you doing?" I demanded, sprinting over to him. He was sitting with his knees up, his arms sitting on his knees, and his chin resting on his arms. He didn't even look at me.

            "Since when did you wanna talk?" He muttered.

            "You're gonna get sick if you stay out here."

            He shrugged. "Don't care."

            "Well, I do."

            "You've got a funny way of showing it!" 

            I was taken aback by the anger in his voice. I sat down on the edge of the hammock, and he stared me down, making the situation even more uncomfortable than before.

            "You know, I thought you were really my friend. Someone I could count on." He said, shaking his head.

            "I am!" 

            "Then why are you letting a dumb accident ruin it all? That's all it was, an accident!"

            "I just…Mush…"

            He snorted and set his chin back on his arms, knowing that I didn't have an answer.

            "I'm sorry."

            Those eyes. Oh, God, if beauty could kill, those eyes would be poison. He was looking at me, searching for a sign that I was serious.

            "Why does it matter so much to you?" he asked.

            "What?"

            "The accident. To anyone else, it wouldn't have mattered."

            He was right. If it had been anyone else, we would've laughed it off and forgotten about it.  

            "I don't know."

            He stared at me a moment longer, and then looked away, depriving me of his angelic gaze. "You may as well go back inside." He mumbled, a shiver shaking his whole body.

            "I said I'm sorry! What else do you want?"

            "I don't know. Nothing."

            "Bull shit."

            He didn't answer. He just stared straight ahead, fresh tears mixing with the rain on his cheeks.

            "Mush…you've been my best friend since I got here. I don't want to lose that."

            "Neither do I."

            "So we're on the same page here."

            "It's more complicated than that."

            "I know. I know, damn it. And I'm scared."

            He looked up at me, wide eyed, as if the concept of me being scared was difficult to grasp. "Scared of what?"

            "Scared of…of ruining this by making it more than it really is."

            "And where do we put the line? The limit?"

            "Well, last I checked, the limit was about an inch. But that was an accident, remember?"

            He laughed, and I felt that chill go through me. Not from the rain, though. From the sound of his laughter. That sound that any angel would be jealous of.

            "So, seriously. What do you want this to be?" he asked. "Where exactly are we going with this?"

            He looked up at me again, his eyes betraying nothing and everything at the same time. I was speechless, my mouth open, my lips trembling, but nothing spoken.

            "Blink…are you okay?" he asked, concern tracing across his features.

            "No." I said quietly, and then I leaned forward and captured his lips in a kiss, catching him off guard and causing him to fall over backwards in the hammock. I fell on top of him, and I suddenly felt him kissing me back, and a wave of passion crashed over me, taking all previous logical thoughts with it.

            I tangled my hands in his hair, and he suddenly broke away looking up at me with _that look_.

            "New limit?" he asked breathlessly.

            I nodded. "New limit."

            He pulled me down to him and pressed his lips to mine once again, and the rain ceased to matter. We didn't even care that we were both probably going to come down with nasty colds because of this.

            All that mattered was that we were doing something that felt so right in a world that could be so wrong.

AN: I hadn't planned to end the chapter there. Hell, I didn't plan on them kissing. But the muses took over. Next chapter: veto competition, veto, the votes, and possibly the eviction!

And pretty please, review. I need the encouragement. And after that helluva chapter, if you haven't reviewed yet, now would be the time to do so! 


	20. Hot Pink Hair!

AN: No notes right now. Just read on!

Mush

            Blink and I tried to slip back in the house unnoticed, but that was completely impossible, considering that everyone in the house (except for Skittery) had been watching from the back window.

            The second we walked in they were cheering, and I could feel myself blushing. Then Dutchy surprised us both.

            He yelled for us to come in the kitchen, and when we got there, I'd swear my jaw was on the floor. There was a cake sitting on the counter, beautiful roses created in icing on it and the word 'Congrats' written out in fancy script on it.

            "What in the world is _this_?!" Blink said, and everybody else laughed.

            "Compliments of Skittery. That cake has been in the freezer for a week now. We knew you'd figure it out pretty soon." Specs explained, slapping me on the back.

            "You mean…you mean you _knew_?" 

            "We all knew. We were just waiting on _you_." Dutchy said, lighting the three candles on the cake. "Now, come on. Blow out the candles."

            "You guys are insane." Blink said, shaking his head.

            Spot smiled. "We know. Believe me, we know." 

            What else could we do? We blew out the candles.

            "Have any of you guys talked to Skittery yet?" I asked, and everybody seemed to find something else in the room very interesting at the moment. 

            "He locked himself in the bedroom. He isn't talking." Itey finally explained, and I sighed.

            "Guys, we can't leave him locked in there forever."

            Race swallowed hard, rubbing his cheek where a bruise was already forming. "Yes we can."

            I groaned and pulled Blink into a quick kiss before I headed for the bedroom, not surprised to find it closed and locked.

            "Skittery…are you okay?"

            No answer.

            "I wanted to thank you for the cake."

            "Fuck off."

            Well, at least I got a response. Not really the response I wanted, but a response, nonetheless. I'm sure he didn't mean it…he was really mad right now.

            "Unlock the door." I demanded. No answer. "I want to talk to you."

            The door unlocked and flung open, and there stood a very pissed off looking Skittery.

            "What the _hell_ do you want?" His eyes suddenly drifted to my neck. "And why the _hell_ do you have a hickey?"

            What? I have a _hickey_?

            I guess he saw the shocked look on my face, because he burst out laughing. Spot stuck his head in the hallway, probably to see why Skittery was laughing when he had been in a murderous rage.

            "Yeah, Skittery, you missed the show." Spot said, and Skittery just shook his head.

            "It's about time."

            Spot went back to the kitchen and I followed Skittery into the bedroom, sitting down beside him on the bed.

            "So what was that all about, anyway?"

            He ran a hand through his hair, which was sticking up in every direction. "Just fed up, that's all."

            "That's no excuse to beat the crap out of Race."

            "Actually, yeah, it is."

            "Enlighten me."

            He looked at me carefully, and then he just spilled. He told me all about the deal, and about Race going back on his promise. I couldn't believe that this had been going on behind our backs the whole time, but I guess I should've expected it. 

            "So that's why you went postal on him?"

            "Well…yeah."

            I noticed the way he shifted on that question. The way he suddenly got more fidgety.

            "Why do I get the feeling you aren't telling me everything?"

            "Hell if I know."

            "No, really. What's wrong?"

            "Nothing."

            "Skittery." I laid my hand on his shoulder, and he jumped practically a foot off the bed. I yanked my hand back, watching as he took a deep breath and crossed his arms. "I promise, nothing you tell me will leave this room. _Nothing_." 

            "That's right, cause I'm not telling you anything."

            "Skittery, just-"

            He reached out and grabbed the collar of my shirt and was about to say something…and then I noticed the scars. The light from the lamp lit up the scars all the way down his arm, at least two dozen or more from wrist to elbow. He followed my gaze and realized that I'd noticed, ad he let go and stood up.

            "Skittery…"

            "Get out."

            "But-"

            "OUT!"

            I stood up and walked to the door, stopping in the doorway and turning around. Skittery had sat back down on the bed, his head in his hands and his shoulders trembling.

            "Not everyone breaks promises, Skittery."

            He didn't respond, and I closed the door quietly as I walked out, my mind racing.

            "You alright, Mush?"

            I looked up and Blink was standing there, a plate with a piece of cake on it in his hand.

            "Yeah. I'm okay."

            He raised an eyebrow, something he does quite often. Then he took the fork from the plate and stuffed a bite of cake into my mouth.

            "Is it good?"

            I swallowed and laughed at him. "It's awesome. Isn't anything Skittery cooks awesome?"

            He kissed me briefly, and then he grinned like an idiot. "Yep. It is awesome."

            "You're an idiot, you know that?"

            "Thank you."

Spot

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hello, Sarah."

            "Are you ready for this week's veto competition?"

            "No." I muttered, but of course, she ignored me.

            "This week's competition is going to be water balloons. Skittery, the box to your right contains the water balloons."

            Skittery opened up the box, and Sarah continued. "The partners are as follows: Bumlets and Dutchy, Spot and Itey, Blink and Specs, and Skittery and Mush. Do you all know how this game works?"

            Everyone nodded. Easy enough game. 

            "Since you all know how it works, I'm sure you won't mind a twist."

            We all groaned. We were sick of twists.

            "The balloons are filled not with water, but with food coloring.  Which means that if the balloon bursts on you, you could end up bright purple for quite a while, or whatever color happens to be in your balloon. However, since the balloons are solid black, you won't know what color is inside. Oh, and I almost forgot…the dye _will_ color your hair for at least five days."

            Great. Just great.

            "Please take a balloon, line up, and begin."

            I grabbed a water balloon and stood a distance from Itey, looking at him to make sure he was ready. Then I tossed the balloon.

            As Itey caught it, I heard a crash and a cry of surprise, and I looked over to see Bumlets dripping with blue coloring. He now had streaks and spots of blue in his hair, and his outfit had blue splotches al over it.

            We took a step back and Itey tossed the balloon back, and I almost dropped it, but I got a grip on it quickly. One more step back, one more toss, one more catch.

            I wasn't as lucky on the next toss.

            We stepped back again and Itey tossed it, and it slipped right through my hands and hit me square in the chest. I was suddenly drenched in a bright orange color, my clothes and my hair dripping with it.

            We stepped aside and I grumbled as we watched Blink and Specs and Skittery and Mush go at it. Another shriek, and Mush's hair and clothes were suddenly neon red.

            Now only Blink and Specs were left, and they were a long ways apart. They were both really good at this game, but after another few tosses, it burst and Specs was now painted an interesting hot green color.

            Sarah's voice broke the laughter. "Okay, the next pairs will be Skittery with Dutchy and Blink with Itey. Begin."

            Each pair got a balloon, and the game started all over. And for the first five tosses, all seemed well. But then there was a shout as the balloon burst right on Itey's head…and his normally black hair turned hot pink.

            Everything came to a standstill. I was doubled over in laughter, and Mush was laying on his back in the grass, laughing hysterically. Itey was blushing a deep shade of red as he stepped away from the game.

            As we laughed another splash was heard, and Skittery's hair and clothes were now a bright purple shade.

            "Final round, boys…Dutchy against Blink. Begin."

            The last balloon was picked up and the game began. They went about ten tosses before Dutchy finally slipped and ended up with black hair. That's right: Dutchy with black hair.

            "Congratulations, Blink. You've won the power of veto."

AN: My muses are going INSANE with this story! NOTHING is going like I thought it would! I need reviews……..cause I'm being driven crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next chapter, power of veto is used, and eviction…I know that was supposed to be this chapter, but…….I can't explain what happened. I went nuts. 


	21. Intuition

AN: This is going to be another chapter with a big surprise in it. 

I'm trying to get this fic and my other one done before school starts on Monday so I don't have a million things going on at once, but it's really not seeming like it's going to work. Review! I need the encouragement to write faster!

Blink

            "I don't know what to do."

            Mush and I were sitting out by the pool, just basically wasting the daylight. We didn't have anything better to do.

            "You mean with the veto?"

            "Yeah."

            "Then don't use it."

            "What?"

            He smirked, squinting his eyes against the bright sunlight bearing down on us. "I guess since you're an actor, you wouldn't understand the saying, when in doubt don't do it."

            "Hey!"

            "I'm just kidding, Blink. Don't get your boxers in a twist."

            That's out little country boy for you. Don't get your boxers in a twist…I'd have to write that one down. That was hilarious, just because he said it so…innocently.

            "Well, how would you use it?" I asked, jumping down into the water and shivering in the freezing cold waist deep water.

            "I would take Skittery off the block."

            "What? Are you insane? Why?"

            He shrugged. "I just don't feel like it's time for him to go yet."

            I didn't answer. I trusted Mush, but this time, I thought he was dead wrong. I guess part of loving someone is agreeing to disagree. 

            "Mush, I'm sorry."

            "For what?"

            "Your family…they're not gonna take this well."

            He laughed, but it was forced. "It wasn't like you did this all alone. I think I may have played a part in it. Just maybe."

Mush

            We didn't get much more time to converse in peace.

            Skittery suddenly slammed open the screen door, and then took a running leap into the pool, soaking both me and Blink. I rubbed the water out of my eyes and Skittery was laughing like a maniac, not phased by Blink staring daggers at him.

            "You're in a good mood." Blink mumbled. "What did ya do, scare Race to death again?"

            Skittery shook his head, the stupid grin not leaving his face. 

            "You got into the coffee again, didn't you?" I asked.

            "Who, me?"

            Blink groaned and climbed out of the pool, holding a towel tightly around his shoulders. "Coffee has the same effect on you that beer would have on Mush."

            Skittery's smile disappeared- completely fake, though. "Aw…come on, Blinky…you don't mean that."

            "Don't call me Blinky."

            Blink traipsed inside to get dried off, and Skittery sat beside me on the edge of the pool. Somehow, he didn't look the same with bright purple hair. I couldn't say anything, though…I'm sure I didn't exactly look very good with bright red hair.

            "Your boyfriend is no fun." Skittery mumbled, and I knew he was kidding just by the tone of his voice. But I answered anyway.

            "Oh, he can be tons of fun."

            I meant it innocently. I really did. But as Skittery doubled over in laughter and fell back into the pool because of it, I realized just how _wrong_ that sounded. How very wrong.

            "I didn't mean it like that! You're such a pervert!" I yelled at him, and then I got up, knowing I was blushing bright red, and stomped back into the house, slamming the door behind me. Bumlets and Spot looked up in shock as I sat down on the couch and fumed.

            "Lover's spat?" Bumlets asked.

            "No. Skittery's just being a jerk."

            They both laughed, which only made me even madder.

            Bumlets couldn't help but say it. "So _that's_ why Blink came through here like a mad hornet!"

            I groaned and stood up, and then I made the decision to do what I had been planning. I had to do it now, or else I might not get the chance. I turned around in the doorway.

            "Where are Specs and Dutchy?"

            "Probably taking their 7 minutes of heaven in the closet." Spot muttered, and they both cracked up again. They must have had coffee too.

            I rolled my eyes. "You guys are no help."

            I found Specs and Dutchy, and _no_, they were not in the closet. Dutchy was giving Specs another painting lesson, and hopefully they wouldn't get paint all over the walls again.

            "Hey, guys. Can we talk?"

            Dutchy nodded, and I closed the door and strolled over to them, looking over Specs's shoulder at the easel. He had improved since his last try…he still sucked at it, but he _had _improved.

            "I want to offer you guys a deal. Both of you."

            Specs stopped painting and gestured to the bed, and we all three sat down.

            "We're listening." Dutchy said. I still couldn't used to his black hair, and Specs's neon green hair was practically making me go blind.

            "Blink isn't going to use the veto…at least, I'm pretty sure he's not. I wanted to ask you guys if you would vote out Itey instead of Skittery. In return for complete safety from me."

            "Why do you want _him_ to stay? He's gonna murder someone!" Specs said.

            "I just don't want him out yet. I need some more time with him."

            Dutchy smirked. "Cheatin' on Blink already?"

            "You know that's not true." I hissed, for once letting my anger show through. Both of them were stunned for a moment, knowing that they shouldn't cross me like that again.

            "It still wouldn't save him. He'd need four votes, and there are only three of us." Specs pointed out.

            "I know. I'm just trusting my gut on this one. If you guys promise to vote Itey out, no matter what happens, you've still got that safety. I promise."

            "Will you promise to protect us if Skittery comes after us?" Dutchy asked, hiding his laughter.

            "If that's what you want, yes. Anything."

            They looked at each other, and Specs shrugged, obviously letting Dutchy decide.

            "Okay…I trust you. I think we both do…you've got a deal."

Itey

            I felt pretty much safe, after that stunt that Skittery pulled. Now all I needed was for Blink to not use the veto, and I was safe. No doubt.

            "Alright. Time for the veto meeting. Is everyone ready?" Blink asked. No one answered; we didn't need to.

            Blink took a deep breath, and then he lifted his chin. "I choose to not use the power of veto."

            That was it. I had won. I was going to stay in.

**The Votes**

Mush

            Maybe the other guys were right. Maybe I was insane. But I trust my instincts, and right now my gut were telling me to keep Skittery here. And hopefully away from the coffee.

            I felt sorry for Itey. Truly, I would've voted to keep him if I didn't think Skittery needed to stay here. Besides, Itey's hair was about to force me into insanity.

            So I voted to evict Itey.

Spot

            Hmm…let's see…a criminal with murderous tendencies? Or a cute little kid who was no threat in the game?

            Come on now. Really. I voted to evict Skittery.

Race

            You shouldn't even have to ask. I mean, the guy tried to kill me!

            I voted to evict Skittery.

Specs

            I should be voting to evict Skittery. I really should. But that deal was just too good to pass up, for both me and Dutchy. Mush was one of the strongest players in the house (even if he didn't know it), and now we had his protection. Guaranteed.

            So, with heavy reluctance, I voted to evict Itey.

Blink

            I don't know what Mush has up his sleeves, but if it involves keeping that insane killer in the house, I'm just staying out of it. He should just accept that Skittery is basically gone. There's no hope for that kid.

            I'm voting to evict Skittery.

Dutchy

            A promise is a promise. And unlike some people, I don't break them.

            I voted to evict Itey.

Bumlets

            It's a hard decision for me. I haven't talked to Skittery yet, but I can only assume that our truce _is_ still in effect, even _if _Race shattered our triple block protection. And Skittery is a strong player. Very strong. I can either keep him and hope our protection is still intact, or I can evict him and drop all deals. 

            However, even if I vote to keep him, there's no way he'll stay. That kid has no hope. So I may as well give the poor guy a sympathy vote. Wouldn't want him voted out unanimously. 

            So, without really caring, I voted to evict Itey.

            I guess I should've cared.

**The Eviction**

Race

            I was happy. Hell, I was more than happy. That maniac was finally going to leave. In fact, Skittery himself was so sure of it that he had one hand on his bag through the whole ceremony.

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            "The votes are in. Are you ready to hear the results?"

            We all nodded. We were all sure what was going to happen. She may as well just skip reading the results and just let Skittery walk out now.

            "Okay, house guests. By a vote of 4 to 3, _Itey_, you are evicted from the big brother house."

            What the HELL?!

            "Sarah, there's gotta be some mistake!" I managed to squeak out.

            "No mistake. Itey, you have one minute to say goodbye and walk out the front door."

            Skittery was absolutely floored. He looked at Itey, who was even worse- he was practically in a state of shock. But slowly, numbly, Itey stood up and said his goodbyes, and he was gone.

            It suddenly sank in what had just happened, and it quickly dawned on me how bad this was.

            Oh, holy shit.

            I was as good as dead.

AN: I'm sorry this chapter took so long! It took me a long time to decide what was actually going to happen. But here it is! Please review! I'll love you forever if you do! Unless it's a bad review, then I'll just cry…but that's beside the point…

And I know this chapter is poorly written. I'm really sorry about that. The next one will be better, I promise. The next chapter will be another 'what are they thinking' chapter. And it will be lots of fun.


	22. Vicious Thinking

AN: Time to pry into their thoughts again! That's always fun. So just read up!

Oh my gosh! I just realized that there are only eight of them left! I'm about to cry here…

Blink

            Mush had done it. I should've known he'd find some way into getting his way. He wanted Skittery to stay in the house, and against all odds, what happens? Skittery stays. He probably cut some pretty good deals for that one.

            But I didn't care. Well, I cared on a superficial level, but if that was what Mush wanted, then he deserved it. Call me gullible, call me obsessed. But if you call me anything to my face, _in love_ would basically be 'all of the above'.

            It's strange to say that. I'm in love. I've never felt quite like this before, not even with my last movie-star girlfriend that I met on the set of my latest movie. And believe me, was she a hottie…any guy would've fallen in love with her.

            Except for me. No, I fall in love with an amazing, sensitive, caring guy from a tiny farming community in Kansas.

            Call me crazy. Call me obsessed.

            But I'd rather you just state the obvious.

_I'm_ _in love_.

Mush

            I knew my instincts had to be right. Someone else _did _vote to keep Skittery. I didn't know who, I didn't know why…and frankly I didn't care. Maybe Blink had done it, but I doubt it. He's very stubborn.

            Now all I had to do was figure out why Skittery was acting so weird- before he either got evicted or got kicked out for murdering Race. Easier said than done…when Skittery doesn't want to talk, he's not going to.

            So I only have one option…I have to win head of household, and keep him safe for this week. I've been trying to fly below the radar, not winning barely any competitions, but now is as good a time as any to try. 

            This competition would be the real test. Would the others realize that I really hadn't been putting in my all in the previous competitions?

Skittery

            I couldn't believe it. They actually voted out Itey instead of me! It must have been the coffee…or something. I just didn't understand it.

            I did understand one thing, though. Time to fly low. It was like God had blessed me with a second chance, and now he was waiting to see what I did with it. And I wasn't going to waste it. The trick? Don't win head of household. Stay out of the line of fire.

            Maybe I should apologize to Race…

            Naaaah. That was a little much. Then they'd think I was a schitzo.

            I'd just ignore Race. Yeah, that was it…until I got a clean chance at it, and then using the house's own rules, I'd wring his neck and have him out of here. And I wouldn't have to touch him to do it.

            No one crosses me and gets away with it.

Bumlets

            Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.

            All because I wanted to give him a sympathy vote. How was I to know that there were three insane people in the house? How was I to know that what I thought was a sympathy vote turned out to be the deciding vote? 

            Ugh. That makes me sick. Now one of the strongest competitors in the house was still here, and it was all my fault.

            This week's head of household competition was going to be vicious. Everyone needed to get head of household to save their own ass. Cause now it's down to eight, and when you think about it, that's not very many at all.

Specs

            Well…Mush has more brains in that naïve head of his than I thought he did. He ended u being right. Now we had his protection, and he had his extra week with Skittery…whatever he wanted that for. 

            I wonder who else voted in Skittery's favor…probably Blink. I mean, if Dutchy asked me to do something like that for him, I wouldn't have a complaint. At least, I'd like to think I wouldn't.

            I wonder what my family is thinking, watching this. My sister…she's probably just enjoying the publicity. My mom is probably canceling all her fancy parties for the near future because she doesn't want to discuss my sexuality with her rich friends. And dad…I wouldn't be surprised if he went on the news to announce that he was disowning me or something like that. Wouldn't surprise me a bit. He probably complains about me to every single one of his patients, too.

            But somehow, that doesn't matter to me anymore. It just doesn't. 

            As long as I still had Dutchy when I walked out that door, even if he lasted longer than me, everything would work out fine. Somehow. 

            It had to.

Spot

            This house is full of people who have completely lost their minds!

            What were they trying to pull, keeping him in the house? Did they _want_ to die a very painful, violent death? I sure didn't. I knew that for a fact.

            Maybe he would tone it down. Maybe he would realize that he's making us feel like cats trapped in a cage with a starving Doberman, and he'd stop being…well, whatever he's being.

            Ha. Very funny, Spot.

            Just win head of household, and everything will go as planned.

Dutchy

            Skittery was still in. It was like a miracle and a curse all rolled into one. A miracle for Skittery, a curse for all of us who wanted to see our eighteenth birthday.

            But that's okay. I don't think I'm on his hit list quite yet. Still laying low here.

            And if I kept laying low, who knows how far I'd make it?

Race

            Head of household. That's all I could think about. I had to get head of household, and then I would be safe and everything would be fine. I'd put him back up, and this time he'd get evicted for sure, especially if I put him up against someone like Mush.

            But I had to win the competition before I could do that. And I had to avoid Skittery, at all costs. And I had to make my own meals…who knows, he might poison me.

            No. Nevermind. I couldn't live without that cooking. Besides, if he tried anything, the cameras would catch him and he knew it.

            So much for flying low. It was time to come out with the grenade launcher in hand.

AN: Okay, next chapter is the head of household/food competition. And it is gonn a be fun. And you guys know what could happen when my muses think something is _fun_…


	23. Fair and Square?

AN: This is going to be fun…and maybe I should put a warning that one of the characters is going to do something very mean in this chapter. And it's not who you think…

Head of household/Food competition!

Spot

            "Hello houseguests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            I was too busy to do more than mumble a greeting at Sarah. I was still wondering what was under the tarp lying by the pool, and why there was a large log shaped object suspended in the middle of the pool. 

            "Are you ready for this week's head of household and food competition?"

            We all looked at each other, but no one said anything. And then we all started laughing.

            "Very funny, boys. Just for that, it's PB+J for this week." Sarah said, sounding a bit peeved.

            "That isn't fair!" I complained, but I was ignored as the other houseguests groaned.

            Sarah just giggled and continued on. "Dutchy, lift the tarp." She ordered, and he did so. Underneath the tarp were two long sticks with grips in the middle and two large square pads on each end.

            "You will be going up two at a time. The object of this game is to use your 'weapon' to knock your opponent off the log." Sarah explained. "Does everyone understand?"

            We all nodded. We didn't want to piss her off again or it might be PB+J for two weeks instead of just one.

            "Good. Specs and Race, you're up first. Be sure to put on the protective helmet."

            They did so (after Dutchy pulled Specs into a quick, steamy good luck kiss), and then they stumbled out onto the log. It looked shaky, but it was tied in such a way that it couldn't move that much. But there still wasn't that much room to maneuver. 

            "You may begin."

            Wham!

            Specs stumbled back, shocked that Race was being so…aggressive. Race went at him again, and Specs almost fell over backwards as he took another slam to his chest.

            But now Specs had caught on. Race was going at this blindly, just hoping that a strong hit would send Specs into the pool. The next time Race made one of his wild swings, Specs ducked and it went over the top of him, and then while Race was still off balance from his own attack Specs slammed one end of his weapon into Race's legs, sending him into the cold water.

            "Specs, you will advance to the next round. Skittery and Dutchy, you're next." Sarah said. I helped Race out of the pool, and he sat by the side for a moment, the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes.

            "You aren't crying, are you?" I asked in disbelief, and he shook his head.

            "They just chlorinated the pool. It stings like hell." He muttered, and I led him away from the pool where he could sit down.

            Skittery and Dutchy stepped up, and Sarah gave them the cue. They both attacked at the same time, and they were in a lock for a few seconds before Skittery stepped back and swung again. Dutchy tried to block him, but Skittery had a whole lot more arm strength- Dutchy went over the side.

            "Spot and Bumlets, you're next." Sarah said, continuing on as Specs pulled Dutchy- whose eyes were also closed tightly against the pool chemicals- to the side. I pulled on the helmet and stepped up, and I let Bumlets take the first swing, jumping back and almost losing it just in that motion.

            I swung at him, but he took the blow and stepped forward again, and I just decided to jab him in the stomach before he got closer- and ended up sending him off when one of his feet slipped as _he_ jumped back.

            I stepped down and helped him out of the pool, hoping I would win just so that my eyes wouldn't burn for the next ten minutes.

            "Blink and Mush, you're next." Sarah said.

            Mush smiled at Blink. "Want me to go easy on you?"

            Blink raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing that Mush could win if he went easy. "No way."

            "Okay. Don't tell me you didn't get your chance."

            That made me suspicious, but I figured that Mush was just trying to use his manipulation skills to make Blink nervous. If so, it wasn't working- Blink looked ready to win. They stepped up and Sarah gave the cue.

            Wham! Slap! Smack!

            It was all over in about the matter of a second. Mush moved quicker than I'd ever seen him move- hell, faster than I'd ever seen _anyone_ move- and Blink took a hit to the side, the chest, and then the back of his legs, sending him into a back flip into the pool.

            All of us were gaping as Mush calmly stepped down and took off his helmet, reaching down to help Blink out of the pool.

            I had planned on winning. Now? Think not. Not up against _that_. 

            "Second round. Specs, you're up against Spot."

            That one was easy enough. It took about five hits, but I got him off the 'log'.

            "Skittery and Mush." Sarah said, and this match was over just as quickly as the other one. Four hits in about two seconds, and Skittery was cartwheeling into the pool. There was no way I would win this, no way at all.

            Now Mush and I were the only two not rubbing our eyes every few seconds from the pool chemicals, and I wanted to stay that way.

            Wait…that was it!

            I was confident now. Oh, yes, very confident. I would win this, I knew it. I may not win fairly, but I would win.

            It was the final round, me against Mush for the head of household. And as I stepped up onto the log, I pretended to waver in my balance and I dipped one end of my 'weapon' into the freshly chlorinated pool.

            "Go." Sara said, and I had a window of about a second.

            I swung the soaked end about an inch from Mush's face, and all went as planned. The water hit him right in the eyes, and he stumbled back and stifled a moan at the obvious pain that ensued. His eyes were now shut tightly, and I had my opportunity. I swung at his legs, knocking him into the pool.

            "Congratulations, Spot…I think. You're the new head of household." Sarah said, her voice dry. I could practically feel the accusing glares as Blink pulled Mush out of the pool- everyone knew what I had done, but they couldn't do a thing about it.

            That was okay. I had the power now, and I was keeping it, no matter how unfairly I'd won it by.

            That one was for you, Itey.

AN: Sorry all you Spot fans…I just saw him as the type to do something like this, and it adds a whole new tension level to the house.

Also, sorry this is a very short chapter. It's what I call an 'action chapter', and those are never very long. The next few chapters should be longer, since they aren't just action…they're slightly serious. Come on, slightly…you know me.

Review, please! Next chapter…nominations and probably veto competition! 


	24. More Than You'll Ever Know

AN: Ack! Another gap in updates! Sorry…I'm compulsive about getting up at least one chapter a day…I just wanna please! But anyway, time for nominations!

Dutchy

            I put down my half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich, taking a long drink of water and trying to rid my mouth of the taste. I hadn't liked PB+J in the first place, and now I had been eating so little of it that I had lost eleven pounds since I got in the house.

            One sandwich a day. That's about all I could take. I just had to drink lots of water and keep my mind off the hunger.

            I looked around the room, where only Skittery and Spot were still eating. Specs had disappeared from the table a long time ago- he liked PB+J, and didn't have any trouble scarfing it down at lightening speed.

            I stood up and shoved my plate away, and then I headed for the living room, where Specs was usually sitting down reading a book. And sure enough, there he was, his feet on the table and a book the size of a dictionary in his lap.

"Hey Specs. Whatcha readin'?"

            I hopped over the back of the couch and landed right beside Specs, and he gave me an amused half smile before closing his book.

            "The Lord of the Rings."

            "Oh…like the movie?"

            He laughed. "Yeah, like the movie."

            I leaned against him and he sighed, slipping an arm around my shoulders.

            "What's wrong?" I asked, and he just shrugged. "Come on…I know something's wrong. You can tell me."

            "I'm just worried."

            "About your family?"

            He nodded. I watched his face, his beauty not diminished even by the distress evident on his features.

            "Don't worry. It'll work out."

            "I don't know, Dutch. Just don't know."

            "Well, I do. It's gonna work out, one way or another. That's a promise."

            He obviously didn't believe me. He loved his family, I knew that for sure, and he was scared to death of what they would do when he got out of the house. And from what I'd heard about his dad, I wouldn't be surprised if they did do something drastic.

            Specs was the normal bookworm thinking along the "Romeo and Juliet" storyline. I may not be an avid reader, but I knew better.

            I grabbed his chin and pulled him into a kiss, and rested my forehead against his as I spoke. "If they give you any trouble, you get my address from the producers and go to my house. If my mother truly loves me, she'll welcome you with open arms, an open mind, and an open heart. Cause I love you."

            "You mean that?"

            "More than you'll ever know." 

Spot

            I had to do something off the wall. I knew who they all expected me to nominate- Race and Skittery. But since it was so obvious, it would probably get done by someone else in due time. 

            So I decided to nominate two people who didn't seem to be in danger, but who could also be a big risk to the house. And as I put their keys in the nomination bag, I felt pretty darn good about it. 

            I couldn't wait to get out there and baffle all of them. This would be one helluva week.

Bumlets

            We were all waiting on Spot to come in with the nominations, and Skittery had already resigned himself to the fact that he would be one of them. I didn't blame him; he basically had a huge target on his head.

            "Hey guys." Spot said, carrying the box of keys into the room. The nomination bag dangled on his wrist, and he had a bright smile on his face. Who smiled during nominations? Did he have coffee again or something?

            He set the box down and looked around the circle, and then he pulled out the first key without saying another word.

            "Skittery, you're safe."

            Skittery's eyebrows shot up as he took his key, and I wondered what Spot could possibly be thinking. If he wasn't nominating Skittery, who was he nominating?

            Next key. "Mush, you're safe."

            Blink grabbed the key and put it around Mush's neck for him, using it to pull him into a quick kiss before Spot cleared his throat and gave them a look that basically said, 'are you quite done?'

            Next key. "Specs, you're safe."

            No big shocker there. Specs had been 'under the radar', so to speak, since this whole game started.

            Next key. "Race, you're safe."

            This was shaping up to be pretty weird. The only people left were me, Blink, and Dutchy. I didn't get it.

            He pulled out the last key. "Lastly…Dutchy, you're safe."

            Me and Blink. It was down to me and Blink. And there was only one way I could get out of this.

            I would need Mush's vote. Cause I knew that whoever he voted for would find favor with the whole house. I somehow had to convince him to vote out his own boyfriend.

            After nominations, I got my stroke of luck. After a short conversation, Blink was inside talking and laughing with Specs and Dutchy, and Mush went outside to lift weights. It seemed like God had smiled down on me and broke the pair up for a few moments.

            "Hey Mush."

            He put down the barbell and wiped the sweat off his forehead, sitting down for a momentary rest. "Hey Bumlets. Come to work out?"

            "No, not really. I need to talk to you."

            "About what?"

            "Nominations."

            He frowned, an expression I had rarely seen on his face. "What about them?"

            I took a deep breath. "I want your vote if the veto doesn't get used."

            He didn't answer me. I'd have to try a different approach. I sat down beside him, and I saw his body grow tense. Was he scared of me or something?

            "I don't think you know exactly what's gonna go down. You're a huge threat in this house, that's unmistakable. Even you know that. And Blink especially knows that."

            "What are you tryin' to say?"

            God damn, this kid was so naïve.

            "I'm saying that when it comes down to it, Blink is gonna have you out of this house before you can even…well, blink."

            "I know that."

            "So why aren't you doing something about it? He's one of your biggest threats here! Getting rid of him could pave the path all the way to the finals for you!"

            "Getting rid of him would also make me the biggest jerk in history."

            "This game isn't bout right or wrong. It's not about emotions. It's about winning."

            "Maybe for you."

            "No! For everyone! You think you know Blink, but the second you turn your back, he's gonna be standing behind you with a raised dagger! Do you honestly not understand that?"

            Once again he fell silent, staring at the grass by his feet.

            I pushed the issue a little more. "He's playing to win, Mush. He's not playing for you."

            "If that's what he wants…"

            "Do you honestly believe you two are gonna stay together after you leave the house?!"

            "Yes." He said without a second's hesitation.

            "Then you're disillusioned. And you're going to lose."

            Mush bit his lower lip, looking like a child who was about to cry. "Sorry, Bumlets. I can't betray him like that."

            I groaned and stood up, but I turned around before I left.

            "You really love that idiot, don't you?"

            "More than you'll ever know."

AN: Fluff. I love fluff. It's so…fluffy. Anyways, veto competition, veto, votes, and maybe even eviction next chapter! I start school tomorrow, but I'll try and keep my 'one chapter a day' thing going. Remember- reviewing will keep my muses from beating you up!

Sorry this was another pretty short chapter. If my instincts are right, the next one is really big. Especially if I include evictions. Keep reviewing! And if you haven't reviewed yet, do it NOW! Your opinions do make a difference sometimes.


	25. Gumby?

AN: I started school today…that's why this update is coming so late. I already have homework on the first day!!! Ugh…anyways…here's chapter 25!

Also, pleeeaaasse be patient with me. Between school, jazz choir, homework, voice lessons, piano lessons, and trying to write an original novel, I can't _guarantee_ an update every day. But I sure as hell am going to _try_.

Race

            I knew what the competition was even before Sarah said anything. There was a mat set out with bright colored dots in rows on it, and a spinner beside it. Twister.

            "Hello, houseguests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            "As you can all see, the veto competition is Twister. Do all of you know how to play?"

            We all nodded. Simple game.

            "Good. Spot, as head of household, you cannot compete. You will be spinning the dial and calling the moves."

            Spot looked much too excited about that. He practically giggled as he picked up the spinner and gave it a test spin.

            "The order will be Bumlets, Blink, Skittery, Dutchy, Race, Mush, and then Specs. You may begin."

            The first part was easy, and we even went through a few turns before we got into our first tangle. Skittery was supposed to put his left foot on blue, but in order to do that, he'd probably have to disconnect his foot from his body. And I don't think that was something he was willing to sacrifice for veto.

            He tried the move, but fell and almost took me down with him. He carefully untangled himself and got off the mat, and we continued.

            A couple of turns later, it was starting to get seriously uncomfortable. Mush was hovering over me, barely able to hold himself up in his unbalanced position, and Bumlets soon toppled (yes, Bumlets, the dancer!) and took Specs with him on the way to the ground. Now it was on me, Dutchy, Blink, and Mush. And I quite suddenly realized that I was the only straight guy left.

            That shouldn't have bothered me, but it did. Don't know why. Maybe I'm a touch homophobic or something.

            "Race, right hand, green." Spot called out, and I looked for any possible way to get my hand there, but it wasn't going to happen. So I decided that if I was going down, I wasn't going down alone. I made a wild reach for it, and ended up knocking into Mush's arms and taking him to the mat. He laughed about it, and so did I- he had no idea that I'd done it on purpose.

            It was down to Blink and Dutchy now. I tell you, Dutchy's a whole lot more flexible than he looks. What happened next proved it.

            "Dutchy, left hand, yellow."

            Dutchy suddenly made us all cringe with what he did next. In order to make the reach he went _all the way down into the splits_, and then he leaned forward until his chin was about an inch off the mat and his hand stretched far enough to touch the other side of the mat. And still nothing was touching the mat but his hands and feet- the rest of him still had just barely an inch of clearance. And he was holding it with no trouble.

            It was complete silence for about ten seconds. Then Blink just exploded.

            "Oh, forget this!"

            He stood up and walked off the mat, and Dutchy grinned as he came out of the splits and stood up. He smiled sheepishly before walking past us and into the house. 

            Specs was standing beside me, and I couldn't help but ask. "Did _you_ know he could do that?" 

            "Nope…did you?"

            "No…that's…inhuman."

            "…………Yeah."

            I followed Dutchy into the house as the others sat down and started to converse again, and I caught up with him as he was getting ready to take a shower.

            "_How in the hell did you do that?_" I asked, still in complete disbelief.

            "Very carefully."

            That was it? I ask him how he just defied the laws of nature and he says 'very carefully'?

            "You've got the veto now."

            "No…really?" He said, practically spitting sarcasm. It was more of a 'duh' sarcasm than an angry sarcasm though.

            "I wanted to make you a deal." I offered, and he snickered.

            "I remember what happened the last time you made a deal, Race."

            "This is different. All I want you to do is put Skittery up. That's all I'm saying. It would be better for everyone."

            He eyed me carefully, and I tried to look as genuine and honest as possible. Which isn't really that hard for me.

            "I'll think about it, Race. I'll think about it."

            "You do that."

Blink 

            Waiting is the worst part. Definitely.

            Mush slipped his hand into mine as we waited on Dutchy to come in with his verdict, and I sighed. This was fraying my nerves fast. I hated being on the block, and losing the veto to Gumby didn't help.

            That should've been his nickname. Not Dutchy. Gumby. Cause that kid did not have bones, obviously.

            He entered the room, carrying the veto and nomination bags. He took a deep breath, and then smiled.

            "Hey guys. Time for the veto meeting."

            He looked down at the bags, and then back up at us.

            "I chose not to use the veto."

            Race audibly groaned- he'd obviously tried to con Dutchy into using it. Which probably made the decision even easier for Dutchy, because everyone knows how Race handles deals.

            Mush squeezed my hand, and I gave him a weak smile.

            I could only pray that I was better liked than Bumlets around here.

            I grabbed Dutchy by the arm before he left, and in front of everyone, I asked him what we'd all been wanting to ask him.

            "Dutchy…how in the world did you do that? I mean…in Twister?"

            He smiled. "My mom is obsessed with gymnastics. I've been taking lessons my whole life."

            "And you never told us?"

            "It's not that big of a deal."

            "Yeah, sure, Gumby."

            "What?"

            "Gumby. You know, the green clay thing?"

            He gave me this look, and I knew he had no idea. We all laughed as he went to put the keys back, his face turning a light shade of red. Specs would tell him later though, so we weren't worried.

**The Votes**

Mush

            Contrary to Bumlets's belief, there was no way I was going to betray Blink. Even if he betrayed me, which I highly doubted he'd do. 'Love' means through thick and thin, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…and even though Blink and I couldn't take those vows with the rings, we could sure take them to heart.

            He needed me to stick by him. And I'd do that.

            Cause 'love' means…no matter what. Come what may.         

            I, of course, voted to evict Bumlets.

Specs

            They were both equal threats to the game. That was a certainty. So Dutchy and I discussed it, and we decided that Mush's deal with us should apply both ways for now. He was protecting us, so it was only fair that we help him save his boyfriend's ass.

            So I voted to evict Bumlets.

Race

            I had broken my deal with Skittery, and that had led to possibly my demise in the house. The tarnishing of my reputation. I couldn't afford for that to happen again. I had a deal with Bumlets still, and even if he thought it was void after my little stunt, I didn't like Blink enough to go against it.

            I voted to evict Blink.

Dutchy

            When I have problems making a decision, I go to Specs. He always seems to have an answer, a logical viewpoint that I can easily understand. And he's usually right. And he seemed so certain that since Mush was doing us a big favor by keeping us safe, he only deserved the same protection for his boyfriend, at least for now.

            So I voted to evict Bumlets.

Skittery

            I really didn't care. I could've cared less who got bumped this week. I was worried about my own ass in this house. I needed to look out for me, and no one else.

            So I just went to the usual method. I flipped a coin. Blink was heads, Bumlets was tails.

            It was tails.

            I voted to evict Bumlets.

Spot

            They were both really big threats in this house- that made this decision even harder than it should've been. But I could see something here- an alliance between Blink and Mush. Not just in the fact that they were 'together', but they were looking out for each other in the game. And I couldn't allow that to go on.

            So I voted to evict Blink.

**The Eviction**

Bumlets

            It was going to be close. At least, I thought it was going to be close. I had no idea who would vote for who- except I knew that Mush was voting for Blink. If only that darn kid weren't so stubborn. He was naïve, maybe even gullible.

            But he was also in love. And that was a 'no shit' situation.

            "Hello house guests."

            "Hey Sarah."

            "Are you ready for the eviction ceremony?"

            I wasn't. I knew I wasn't. $25,000 fucking dollars were resting on this decision.

            "By a vote of four to two, Bumlets, you are evicted from the big brother house."

            There it was. I was done. Game over.

            All because that country boy and that uptown actor decided to fall in love.

            I would have to remind myself to avoid people who were in love. Cause they were fucking crazy.

AN: See? The author _does_ listen to the reviewers once in a while! Oh, and the head of household competition in the next chapter? It's gonna be **FUN**. Hehe.


	26. Ice, Suitcases and Florida

AN: Time for a very fun competition! This one will take a whole lot of willpower and endurance…hint hint…but anyways, here it is!

Mush

            I seriously didn't want to know. I just didn't. There was a block of ice the size of a car in the backyard, and nothing else. I hated to think what we'd have to do with that.

            "Hello house guests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            "Todays competition is just as simple as the last one. Each of you is going to put one hand on the ice, and whoever lasts the longest without removing their hand wins head of household. However, you may switch hands, so long as you always have one hand on the block of ice."

            Yikes. Putting my hand on solid ice…and then holding it there…yikes.

            I looked around and saw that everyone else was just as bewildered and apprehensive as I was about this- it wasn't going to be easy.

            "Also, if the winner manages to go past thirty minutes, then you will have normal food for the week. Are you all ready to begin?"

            We stepped up to the ice, and Sarah gave the cue. I placed my hand on the ice, and a series of chills flew through my body. I mean…ice is _really_ cold!

            "Oh, man…this isn't gonna work long." Skittery muttered. My hand was already aching, and I was tempted to switch hands already…but I had to wait as long as I could. 

            Another three minutes past- Sarah was informing us as each minute passed- and my hand was throbbing with pain. I was almost afraid of getting frostbite. The sun was beginning to set, and the warm air was slowly becoming chilled. 

            "Hey guys…if I freeze to death…you can split what I would've won." Racetrack joked, switching hands and shivering. We all laughed weakly, but I had trouble laughing at anything in this situation.

            Another minute. Then another. I switched at six minutes, and before I knew it, it had been fifteen minutes. Both my hands were killing me, but my left hand was finally beginning to go numb. Which wouldn't usually be good, but in this situation, it helped.

            Dutchy finally leaped back and took his hand off the ice, shaking his head insistently. 

            "Sorry, Specs. Sorry. Just can't do this."

            Specs smiled and nodded. "It's okay, Dutchy. Go get warmed up."

            Dutchy ran to the house, and I switched hands again, gritting my teeth against the bright flashes of pain that seemed to be affecting my vision now too. I moaned and shut my eyes tightly, and then I realized that I wasn't so cold anymore. In fact, I was beginning to warm up…

            Oh, great. I must've been going into shock or something.

            "Mush…Mush, are you okay?"

            I thought I heard Blink, but I couldn't quite be sure.  And I heard other voices too. Talking. I heard my name a few times, but it was all clouding over.

Skittery

            "He don't look so good." Race said. I stared at Mush beside me, but his eyes were glazed over, unfocused. He wasn't taking so well to this direct contact with ice. And he was the 'beefed-up country boy'. That's what surprised me.

            I saw Blink fighting with himself, trying to decide whether or not to drag Mush into the house and throw away his chance to win or to stay until Mush passed out. He was about to give in, I could tell.

            But that wouldn't be fair. That was expected of him- everyone expected him to give up and go to Mush's aide. I really don't know why, but I saw that as extremely unfair.

            So what did I do? I did something insane, of course. Before Blink could make his move I pulled my hand off the ice and grabbed Mush's shoulders.

            "Mush, I think you need to get inside."

            "I…don't think…"

            I looked up at Blink, and Blink nodded. I grabbed Mush's hand and pulled it off the ice, and then I helped him to his feet.

            "You're going inside. That's final."

            With that, I led him inside and filled a bowl with hot water, making him sit down and put his hands in it. I then did the same thing for myself, since my hands felt like they were about to fall off.

            Dutchy was just going out as we were going in, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was upset.   I grabbed his shoulder and stopped him momentarily.

            "It's okay, Dutchy. You did what you had to."

            He smiled, a genuine smile. "Thanks."

Blink

            I couldn't believe Skittery had done that. He knew I was going to give up and take care of Mush, and he didn't even give me the opportunity. 

            One thing was for sure; Mush had been right all along. And if I won this, Skittery was safe in my book.

            The next person to leave was Race, yanking his hand back and cursing. He said something about this 'not being worth all the fucking trouble' before he turned on his heels and headed for the house.

            Dutchy was talking to us, trying to keep our minds off the pain, but it just wasn't working. It was so cold, it was hot. I mean, like fire. And by now it was only Spot, Specs, and me.

            Specs finally threw in the towel, and Dutchy dragged him inside for some PB+J warmed up in the microwave. Soup would've been better, but the thirty minute mark hadn't passed, and therefore we were still for the moment on PB+J.

            Spot gave up at twenty five minutes. And now I was sticking it out alone for normal food. I was switching hands just about every thirty seconds now, trying to keep my mind clear of thoughts like 'how much would it cost to have my hands reattached when they fall off.'

            Mush came out at 28 minutes, only two minutes to go. He sat beside me and made small conversation, which became more encouragement-based when it was down to one minute.

            _Just one minute. Just one more friggin' minute, Blink._

            I wasn't gonna make it. There was no way. Pain was shooting up my arms, I was shivering almost to the point of seizures, and my teeth were chattering so loud that I thought the whole state would hear.

            But the guys were counting on me. Every time I looked up at Mush, I couldn't imagine giving up.

            And I did it. I lasted the whole damn thirty minutes.

            I practically threw myself away from the ice, landing on my back and immediately getting tackled by Mush. He kissed me hard and then yanked me off the ground and took me inside, where a bowl of steaming water was sitting on the table for me.

            I'd never look at ice again. I was going to throw all my stuff- and Mush- into a suitcase and head for Florida as soon as this was over. Yes, Mush in a suitcase. Don't have to pay for his seat on the plane that way.

            I'm just kidding…maybe.

AN: Hehe. Mush in a suitcase. They need to sell those at Disney World…yum. Yeah…anyways, next chapter is going to be nominations and a look inside the guys' heads once more. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Oh, and yes, I have tried to leave my hand in ice for that long. And yes, it hurts like hell. And yes, I only lasted fourteen minutes. Blink is Super-Blink now, at least in my book.

Hehe…Super Blink and his sidekick, Mush. That could be a comic book……

   
  



	27. Premonitions

AN: Time for nominations, and boy, are you in for a shock…

Mush

            I knocked lightly on the bedroom door, and Skittery's voice came from inside, telling me to come on in. I closed the door behind me, and then I sat beside him on the bed as he lay on his back, staring as the ceiling.

            "I wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday." I said, and he shrugged.

            "No problem."

            "You were in more danger of eviction than anyone."

            "Is that a threat?"

            "No, that's a statement of fact."

            He looked at me in a brief hesitation. "Your welcome."

            I smiled. Finally, some civil conversation. He must've been in a good mood. 

            Now was the time to try.

            "Listen, Skitts…I wanted to ask you about something."

            He cringed. "Look, Mush, I know I'm dashingly attractive, but I'm just not that way. And what would Blink say?" He said in mock despair.

            "Haha, very funny. I'm being serious, Skittery." 

            He just laughed and rolled over onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "What?"

            "The scars on your arms. How did they happen?"

            He cringed again, but it was real this time. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, moving to stand up. I reached out and grabbed his arm, yanking him back onto the bed.

            "You aren't going anywhere until you answer the question."

            He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's none of your business."

            "Don't give me that shit."

            His eyes widened as he looked back up at me, obviously surprised that a curse had just left my lips. But I was honestly frustrated, and I was probably picking up a few bad habits from the other guys.

            "Keep your nose out of it."

            I sighed in frustration. I hadn't wanted to resort to this, but he wasn't giving me a choice. 

            "Skitts, Blink has head of household. He wouldn't think twice about nominating you, much less evicting you. However…I can make sure that does not happen. I can _guarantee_ that that doesn't happen. If…"

            "Are you blackmailing me, country boy?"

            "Yes. I won't deny it. I'm blackmailing you."

            He burst out laughing, slapping me on the back. I was confused now.

            "We finally did it! We truly corrupted you! Cursing, blackmailing, gambling, turning gay…this is priceless, man." He said in the midst of his laughter.

            "It's not funny…" I muttered. "What's your answer?"

            He stopped laughing abruptly, his smile not so wide now. "I don't know if I can."

            "I don't want you getting hurt anymore." I insisted. 

            "No one…no one's ever cared."

            "You just weren't looking hard enough."

            A silence fell that lasted a full minute. He clenched and unclenched his fists, not looking me in the eye. You know how they say that the eyes are the windows to the soul? That didn't apply here. I may as well have been trying to look through a brick wall.

            "Alright. I'll tell." He finally said, and with that, he began to tell his story.

            And by the time he finished, he was crying silently and I was wondering when the world went so wrong.

Blink

            When Mush sat down beside me on the couch, I thought his favorite dog had just died. Wait…maybe his favorite chicken…well, he _does_ live on a farm!

            "Mush, what's wrong?"

            He smiled at me, a weary smile torn between sadness and relief. "Nothing. I'm fine."

            "Yeah right. Come here."

            I pulled him close and he curled up against me, and I kissed his forehead before just letting him stay there, sharing warmth between us. I knew that whatever it was, if he didn't tell me right off what it was, it wasn't my place to ask. So I just had to be there for him, help him through. Even if I didn't know what was wrong.

            "You know you can talk to me, right?" I whispered, rocking him gently.

            "Yeah. I know."

            And that was all we said. That was all we needed to say.

            But eventually the nomination meeting came, and we both had to get ready. And I had to face the other guys and nominate two of them. And I wasn't even sure I was doing the right thing.

            "Hi guys. As head of household, I had to nominate two of you. And it's nothing personal." I said, watching the apprehensive looks on the faces of my friends. I pulled out the first key, the one everyone knew would be there.

            "Mush, you're safe."

            He took his key with a small smile, and I pulled out the next key.

            "Skittery, you're safe."

            He didn't look surprised, but then again, he doesn't show emotion, so I probably wouldn't be able to tell if he was surprised even if he was. 

            Next key. "Race, you're safe."

            There was definite surprise there, and several raised eyebrows. Race looked relieved, but also suspicious. Time for the last key.

            "Dutchy, you're safe."

            I handed him his key and dropped my head, collecting my racing thoughts before I spoke.

            "Specs, Spot…just strategy. You know that, and I know that. And I'm sorry." 

Dutchy

            It had finally happened. I knew it would happen eventually, but actually having Specs nominated was nauseating. My mind was reeling, the sick feeling tearing through both my mind and body.

            At least he was up against Spot. Everyone in their right mind would choose Specs to stay over Spot. And I still had a chance to get the veto and save him for sure. 

            I had to get the veto. I couldn't stand the idea of losing him now. 

            He didn't seem too worried on the outside, but I saw right through that façade. He was scared to death. He didn't want to go back, have to face his family. His father. It was like a nightmare coming true. We'd had so much freedom here, stealing kisses in the hallway, staying up late and living off coffee the next day, living with people who didn't mind us being the way we were, and even having another 'couple' to talk with about it who knew exactly how we felt…

            But in the blink of an eye, that would change. It would be different. And not a good different either.

            They say that this is a 'reality show'. I've got news for whoever believes that.

            This was a paradise compared to what we would have to face in the real world.

Skittery

            I was safe. And surprisingly, I felt better. Mush didn't have to say a word- he only sat there, nodded occasionally, and listened.

            I told him all about mom dying. About my dad turning alcoholic. About him beating me, and about my suicide attempts. I thought he would think I was insane, but he didn't. He understood. Him, of all people. 

            Never would've guessed it.

            But now I just felt awful. Sure, I felt good about opening up, but the look on Dutchy's face when he found out Specs had been nominated was enough to make Hitler cry. I guess he needed to face the fact that they would get split up eventually, but I just don't think he was ready. In fact, Specs is handling it better than him.

            I wondered how long I was going to 'slip through the cracks', so to speak. I had one stroke of luck after another, and I felt like my nine lives were wearing thin. This couldn't last forever. Nothing does.

Spot

            Nominated again. What was this, the third time? The fourth? I may as well set up a permanent home on the block. This was getting monotonous. 

            And unless I got the veto, I was done for. Because Specs was liked a whole lot better than me around here, that was for sure.

            I never would've expected it, but I missed Itey. I never realized how much of a 'little brother' that kid had become to me until he was gone. Kinda like that old saying, 'you don't now what you've got till it's gone'. 

            Speaking of Itey, it was interesting to think about what the evicted house guests were doing. They were probably watching the show religiously, grading all of us who remained and narrowing down their votes for the final round. There were only seven of us left now.

            Wow. Only seven. Hadn't thought about that for a while.

            This was gonna get real interesting…

Specs

            Things were quickly spiraling downward. I couldn't imagine stepping foot outside of this house and spending God only knows how long without Dutchy, but it just might happen. And then exactly what happened in the house would really sink in.

            I can't say I wasn't scared, cause that would be a lie. I was absolutely terrified. But I couldn't let it show. Dutchy was bad enough off as it was.

            And no matter what I did, no matter what happened, I had to think of him first.

Blink

            I wasn't really sure how all this was going to turn out. I had made my nominations completely on a whim, and I was only hoping that it turned out okay. I guess I was kind of thinking that whoever got the veto wouldn't use it, and then Spot would be evicted. It would kill me if I broke up Specs and Dutchy.

            I hope I didn't upset Mush with my nominations. I know he wouldn't have put up Specs, or Dutchy for that matter, but I felt like it was something that would work out in the end.

            I could only hope and pray I wasn't wrong…

Mush

            Blink was right. As much as I hated to admit it, the nominations he made would probably end up working out- it all depended on the veto. And since Blink, as head of household, couldn't compete, it was up to me to get the veto.

            Ugh. I hated having that on my shoulders. The last time I really tried to win, I ended up partially blinded by chlorine.

            But, Blink needed me to keep him from a potentially fatal reputation blow in the house.

            God, the things I do for that idiot…

            I'll just shrug and blame it on love.

Race

            That was weird. I didn't expect that move, and I was watching all the hands. I thought I had all my cards straight. 

            I didn't want the veto. I didn't want it. Because I knew what I would have to do if I got it, and I didn't want to have the whole house seeing that decision fall straight to me. 

            Cause I saw what they didn't. Hadn't anyone else noticed that the couples were lasting longer than those not paired up? It's because they were looking out for each other. When one got into trouble, the other always had their back. And we couldn't allow that to continue.

            I hated to say it, but the boyfriends had to be broken up. And I knew just the way to do it.

AN: Hints everywhere! Pay close attention, people…premonitions abound! Anyways, next chapter will be veto competition, veto used (or not), the votes, and the eviction. And let me tell you, it won't be like you think.


	28. The Unexpected

AN: This is a very special chapter. I repeat, this is a VERY SPECIAL chapter. Not only has it had me near tears (And I _don't_ cry), but it also changes the whole game. Not only that, but it's a whole lot of fun _and_ a cliffhanger. Why don't you see for yourselves…

Race

            There was a door leading to nothing standing in the backyard, and a little ways from that was a table with six keys on it. And on the table with the keys sat a blindfold. 

            What kind of a veto competition was this?

            "Hello house guests."

            "Hey Sarah."

            "Are you all ready for this week's veto competition?"

            Various affirmative remarks were made, and Sarah continued. "One at a time, each of you will be blindfolded. You will then find a key, take it over to the door, and unlock it. However, only one of the six keys actually unlocks the door. The person with the fastest time wins."

            "Who first Sarah?" I asked, eager to get this show on the road.

            "Well, Mush will start. The order after that will be Race, Specs, Dutchy, Spot, and Skittery. Blink, as head of household, you will be in charge of rearranging the keys with each round and blindfolding the contestant."

            Blink walked up to the table and grabbed the blindfold, and Sarah told him to go ahead. Mush turned around and Blink started tying the blindfold, and I couldn't help myself.

            "You can't wait to do that _outside_ the house, can ya, Blink?" I asked, and all the guys snickered as Blink's face turned red. He ignored me, and instead led Mush to where he was to start.

            Sarah gave the signal and Mush stumbled over to the table, grabbing a key and turning around. He found the door the hard way- by running into it. He found the lock and jammed the key into it, but it didn't budge. Wrong key. He took it back to the table, setting it away from the others and grabbing another key.

            Then he ran into the door. Again. He shook his head, stunned, and then he tried the lock again. No luck.

            He repeated the process again, this time actually using his hands so he didn't body slam the door again. He tried the key, and the lock snapped and the door swung open.

            "Two minutes and ten seconds." Sarah announced as Mush pulled the blindfold off and Blink tied it on me. I heard a few 'clinks' as he put the keys back and then the sound of the door closing and locking shut, and then I was given the go ahead. 

            I picked up the first key my hand touched, and I turned around and headed for the door. And guess what?

            Yep. I ran into it. And it _did_ hurt. 

            I was absolutely stunned when I slid the key in the lock and practically fell through the door- I had picked the right key on the first try. And it had only taken me 28 seconds to do it.

            The other guys didn't have as much luck.

            Specs went through three keys before he finally found the right one. Dutchy only took two tries, but he was still at one minute and one second. Skittery almost beat me- he also picked up the right key on the first try, but he took thirty seconds because he fell on his face. 

            And Spot. Spot must have been having a bad day or something, because he went through all six keys before he finally got the right one. Just bad luck.

            And before I knew it, I had the veto.

Spot

            "Alright, guys. Ready for the veto meeting?"

            Race eyed us warily as we waited for him to give his verdict. I wasn't really sure what he was going to do, but I knew it probably wouldn't be good. 

            I shot a look at Dutchy and Specs- they were holding hands, and they were trying to act like everything was normal. Key word- trying. They knew as well as the rest of us that this was quickly falling into shambles for them.

            Race cleared his throat, and then pulled a key out of the nomination bag. "I have decided to use the veto. Spot, you're safe."

            I felt my mouth drop in surprise. He pulled _me_ off the block?

            He continued, dropping my key in my lap. "And in Spot's place, I'm putting up Dutchy."

            The temperature in the room had to drop by fifty degrees. Dutchy's face paled by about ten shades, and Specs dropped his head, not looking up at any of us. Race ignored the effect he'd had on the couple- he just turned around and left. I guess he just couldn't take it. I mean, what he'd just done was insensitive…but it was smart.

            Specs grabbed Dutchy's hand and dragged him out of the room, and we let them go. They had a whole lot to talk about.

Dutchy

            "This can't be happening. This can't be happening."

            I couldn't stop repeating it. My mind was swirling like water in a sink, dragging any coherent thoughts with it. Specs grabbed my shoulders, shaking me gently.

            "Snap out of it, Dutch. Come on." He urged, and I let myself fall into him. I felt like crying, but the tears wouldn't come. He moved me to the bed and we sat down, and I could feel my breath coming in shuddering gasps. 

            "Dutchy…it's okay…calm down."

            "I can't. I can't."

            "Yes, you can. You have to…for me?"

            I slowly got my breathing back to normal, though my chest was now hurting. I leaned against him, and we sat in silence for a good ten minutes.

            "We've got to face up to this." He finally said in a whisper, and I nodded. I didn't mean it. I didn't want to face up to this. It was too much.

            I suddenly realized how selfish I was being. Specs was probably as scared as I was, hell, most likely more so. He had a whole lot more to lose when he left.

            "I'm sorry." I said, my voice cracking with the sheer emotion behind it.

            "For what?"

            "I'm…overreacting."

            He looked at me and smiled. "No. You're fine."

            We fell silent again. I didn't know what to say. One of us was leaving this house, and no matter which one, it may be a long while before we saw each other again.

            I had an idea just then. An epiphany. I stood up and walked to the dresser, pulling out a sheet of sketch paper and a pencil with shaking hands. I hastily wrote down my address, making sure it was legible.

            "What's this?" Specs asked as I folded it up and handed it to him.

            "If you get evicted…and things don't go well at home…go to that address."

            His eyes widened. "Go to _your_ house? But…your mother…"

            "If she truly loves me, she'll welcome you with an open heart. I promise. I don't want you in any danger."

            For he first time since this ordeal began, I finally saw Specs choking back tears. I reached up and brushed his hair out of his face, and he pulled me into a tight hug as he started really crying.

            "I love you, Dutchy…I love you so much…"

            "I love you too."

**The Votes**

Blink

            I didn't want to have to vote either of them out. I couldn't even imagine having to go through this with Mush- it was really making me wonder when it would come down to that. At least I knew that if it came down to me against Mush for eviction, I would be the one voted out. No question about that.

            No one knew which one of this pair would go. Dutchy and Specs were both equally a threat to the game, but when I thought about it, Specs might be a little more intelligent when it came to strategy.

            So I voted to evict Specs.

Race

            This was my doing. And to tell the truth, I was pretty proud of it. This was making for a very interesting week. And I already knew who I wanted to evict.

            I always said not to trust the nice guys. So I just went with the more friendly of the two.

            I voted to evict Dutchy.

Mush

            I didn't know who I wanted out. I didn't want to have to make this decision in the first place. It would be heart wrenching to see them saying goodbye.

            But I had to reach some kind of conclusion. So I went to Blink, and I followed his advice after a long discussion on the issue.

            I decided to vote to evict Specs.

Spot

            I wished I could vote both of them out. Whichever one was left would be sulking for weeks, and putting us all in a bad mood in general. And having Mush and Blink around to remind the lone survivor wouldn't help either.

            So I decided to get rid of the one who couldn't hide his emotions as well.

            I voted to evict Dutchy.

Skittery

            Flipping a coin for these things was getting monotonous. But at least if I flipped a coin, I couldn't blame myself for bad judgment later. So I flipped a coin.

            And then I voted to evict Specs. 

**The Eviction**

Skittery

            I sat as far away from Dutchy and Specs as I could get. I didn't want to be that close to all that emotional crap when one of them had to go. Race looked unconcerned, to anyone who didn't look close enough. But I saw the furtive, sad glances he threw at the two boys whose lives were changing radically once again.

            "Hi house guests." Sarah said. We mumbled our greetings- we really weren't in a cheery mood.

            She continued on, peppy as usual. "Are you ready to hear the results of the vote?"

            No one said a word, but this time, there was no laughter about it, and we didn't get punished for not responding.

            "By a vote of three to two…Specs, you are evicted from the big brother house."

            Surprisingly, Dutchy didn't start crying immediately. He stood aside as we all said our goodbyes to Specs, and then Dutchy stood at the door with him, and looked him right in the eye, not allowing the tears to fall.

            "Do you…do you still have what I gave you?"

            Specs patted his shirt pocket and nodded, and the rest of us shared confused glances. I just shrugged and watched as Specs kissed Dutchy one more time, and then he walked out the door.

            When that door shut, it was like a switch had been flipped. Dutchy utterly broke down, collapsing against the wall as he sobbed. Mush started to run to his side, but Blink stopped him.

            We all decided without saying a word that he needed his space.

            "If all the remaining house guests would listen, big brother has an announcement."

            We all jumped at the unexpected sound of Sarah's voice. This couldn't be good.

            "Now that you boys seem to have settled well, it's time for another twist. You know the big brother motto- expect the unexpected. And boys…the unexpected starts _tomorrow_."

            With that, Sarah said no more, and we were all left to our thoughts of what 'the unexpected' might be.

Specs

            "Where do you need to go, kid?"

            The taxi cab driver completely ignored the cameraman that was with me, as if it were completely normal to have his every move videotaped. I handed him the address on a folded sheet of paper- I didn't want the entire nation to know exactly where Dutchy lived.

            I gently rubbed the bruise on my cheek where my father's college ring had hit me- I wasn't so much upset by the dull ache than by the fact that he'd actually done it.

            I'd never forget it. My mother and sister were right there.

            And neither one moved to help me.

            Neither one of them said a word. 

            "Hey, you're that gay kid, aren't you? From that reality show?"

            Okay, I knew I would be getting that a lot, but I guess I just wasn't quite ready for it, especially coming from a random cabby. I just nodded, and to my surprise, he dug around in his glove box and pulled out a notepad and pen.

            "Could you sign this for me? My daughter loves that show!"

            I grabbed the pen and paper and hastily scribbled my signature, with my nickname below in quotes. He pulled up to the house and stopped the cab, and I handed him the notepad.

            "Could you…wait here?" I asked timidly. "I might not be staying."

            "Yeah, sure kid."

            Now it was the 'moment of truth'. It looked like a completely normal suburban household- except for the fact that my boyfriend's mother and step-father lived inside. And if they didn't help me, I couldn't think of anyone that would.

            Every step seemed to take all my effort, all my willpower. The brick path seemed ominous to me, and the fact that the camera following me was hooked up live to national television didn't help.

            I finally reached the door, and for a moment, I stood in indecision. I could always turn around now. I didn't have to put myself through this ridicule again. But who was I kidding? She was probably watching the show. She probably already knew I was here.

            I rang the doorbell, shifting my weight nervously as I waited. Ten seconds passed. Time seemed to be dragging, and I wondered if she would even bother answering the door. Maybe she would just leave me standing out here. Or maybe she would hurt me, like my dad did.

            The door swung open, and there she stood. She had the same natural beauty that had drawn me to Dutchy, the same blond hair and pale blue eyes. But right now she looked worn and tired.

            Her eyes met mine, and neither of us said a word.

            And then I realized that I was crying.

            She gently reached up and I flinched, expecting her to slap me. But instead she took hold of my chin, tilting my face and bringing my bruise into full view. And then she started to cry. 

            Then it happened. She pulled me into a hug, trembling as she held me close.

            And I knew everything would be okay.

AN: Whew…that was a hard chapter to write. But I made it! PLEASE review! And you guys will NEVER guess the twist that big brother has in store for our remaining guys…


	29. Big Brother Has Gone Too Far

AN: Okay, guys, there will be no update Saturday (tomorrow) cause I'm going to the Renaissance Festival in Ohio- I'll be leaving tonight. I decided to reveal the secret in a very short chapter before I leave, so as not to leave you hanging for three days. I'll update on Sunday afternoon, definitely.

All you people who have been wanting to see what Mush's family thought of all this? You will soon get your wish. You'll see what I mean.

Here's the twist…

Spot

            "Hello house guests."

            Sarah had us all sitting in the main room the following morning- not that any of us had gotten much sleep the night before. On top of all the emotions running rampant, now we had a surprise coming, obviously.

            "I suppose you all want to know what the twist is." Sarah said, and everyone nodded. There was no doubt. Sarah giggled, and then continued. "The twist is that every half hour starting at ten a.m., each of the remaining house guests will have a family member or close friend around your age coming to join us in the house."

            "What?!" I snapped, and the rest of the guys were equally shocked. Mush looked absolutely horrified. 

            Sarah continued, unphased by our apparent shock. "They will not compete for the money, and they will not participate in competitions. They will be evicted along with the house guest they are related to. We didn't want you getting _too _comfortable in the house."

            Mush suddenly let out a sob and ran from the room, slamming the bedroom door shut behind him. I didn't blame him- he was already nervous enough about leaving the house, let alone a member of his family coming _here_.

            "I hope you're happy, Sarah." Blink snarled, turning around and going after Mush. There was an awkward silence, and then I realized that Sarah wasn't telling us anything else. I looked at my watch- we had less than a half hour before the first person arrived.

            And I sure hoped they didn't pick who I thought they would.

            I didn't want Austin here. Not now, not ever, friend or not.

            What would the guys think of me if they knew that I was best friends with a rich, snobby, overly homophobic spoiled kid?

            I looked around at the other guys. Skittery looked really mad, his fists clenched and his jaw shut tight. Race looked indifferent, but that would change when his relative got here. Dutchy looked nervous more than anything else. Mush, of course, was crying hysterically, and Blink was too busy trying to calm him down to think about who would be coming for _him_.

            I felt that Big Brother had gone too far this time… 

AN: That's all I'm giving you for now. Next chapter…The 6 family members and/or friends arrive, all hell breaks loose…and in the midst of all that, the head of household competition!


	30. Does THIS bother you?

AN: Time for a big, very emotional chapter! I won't keep you…just read on…

And this chapter features Depressed!Dutchy, but I promise, he will get less depressed. I know it's a downer to have a depressed character, and that's mostly in this chapter. He gets better.

Blink

            It was time for the first person to arrive. I had agreed to sit with Mush in the bedroom- he didn't want to greet the people at the door. I could understand why. I heard the doorbell ring, but I only tightened my grip on Mush's shoulders with one arm and grabbed his hand in mine.

            Less than a minute later, a figure appeared in the door. I immediately recognized the curvy silhouette and the shiny brown hair, and the way the figure leaned against the door frame.

            "Reno." I said, simply as a greeting that basically said, 'stay the hell away from me and Mush'.

            "Hello, _Blink_." She said, a hint of disgust in her voice. "I see you've made yourself right at home."

            "Yeah, well, I've been here for quite a while. May as well call it home."

            Her seductive gaze fell on Mush. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

            "Now's not a good time."

            "Well then, make it a good time and introduce me. I'm not going to wait for you to decide it's a _good time_."

            I felt Mush tense up against me; he was like a wolf, able to sense conflict in the air. 

            "He'll introduce us when he feels like it, bitch. Get out of here." He snapped, and I looked down at him in surprise. Reno stood and fumed for a moment, but she just had to have the last word.

            "You'll get yours, Mush. Both of you. You just wait." She hissed before stalking out of the room. 

            "You cursed. I mean, without being forced to." I said to Mush, and he just shrugged.

            "I just hate this. I hate it."

            "I'm gonna be right here. I'm not leaving you. We'll be fine."

            I checked my watch- 25 minutes before the next family member came. I needed to do something to get Mush's mind off this- the more we sat here and waited, the more nervous he would get. I stood up and pulled him to his feet, tugging him close to me and kissing him.

            "Come on. Let's go swimming."

            "What? No!"

            "Okay. We'll do it the hard way."

            I grabbed his wrist and started dragging him to the backyard, ignoring his protests and not letting him out of my grip. I dragged him right past a mildly amused Skittery, who happened to be sitting in a chair by the pool reading a magazine. 

            Mush's eyes were wide as I grabbed him by the waist and pushed him to the edge.

            "You wouldn't." he said, and I smiled and kissed his neck.

            "Oh, believe me, I would."

            With that, I shoved him into the pool, soaking Skittery as well.

            "Thanks Blink. I needed that." Skittery said, shaking the water off his magazine. I reached over and grabbed the back of his beach chair, and then I flipped him forward into the pool as well, chair and all.

            This was getting very fun, very fast. 

            But then it got very bad, very fast.

            Skittery and Mush gave each other one look, and I knew I was in trouble. I didn't wait two seconds before I took off running for the house, two very wet and very mad guys chasing me.

            I burst into the house, and Reno's mouth dropped open as Mush and Skittery came in after me, and quickly caught up. Mush grabbed my arms and Skittery grabbed my legs, and I struggled in vain as they carried me back outside and to the edge of the pool.

            "You boys got the floor in here soaked! And he's not even wearing swimming trunks, you barbarians!" Reno yelled from the door. Mush just smiled.

            "That's the whole point!" Mush yelled back.

            Skittery laughed. "And if you stay there, you're next!"

            Reno quickly disappeared into the house, not wanting her top-of-the-line miniskirt compromised by pool chemicals. And with that done, Skittery and Mush threw me into the pool.

            Now I could see why they were so mad.

Dutchy

            When the doorbell rang, I once again ignored it. Spot groaned and dropped his sandwich on the plate, running to the door and opening it.

            "Hi there." I heard him say, but I didn't turn to look. I didn't want any of these people here. There was only one person I wanted here, and he couldn't be here.

            "Hi Spot."

            Penny?!

            No. Don't look. Just ignore her, she'll go away. She'll disappear, like a bad nightmare.

            "Hi Dutchy."

            Damn.

            I looked up at her and forced a smile. "Hey Penny. Fancy seeing you here."

            She laughed. "I understand if you don't want to talk yet. I'll go say hi to your friends."

            One good thing about females- they can always tell when you don't want them around. I thought I was free until she turned around after just a few steps.

            "So you're really sure you're gay?"

            That was the Penny I knew. Smart girl, but asks the stupidest questions known to man.

              "No, of course I'm not gay, Penny. I just kiss Specs because I mistook him for a girl." I snapped, and her smile disappeared.

            "You didn't have to be nasty about it. I just don't quite understand you, that's all." She said before walking out. 

            "Just shoot me now…" I muttered, laying down on the couch and covering my face with my hands. I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to ask the next head of household to nominate me…I wanted out. I didn't want to stay. This was a living hell now.

            But I had promised Specs I'd keep going. 

            _Specs…I love you…I miss you so much…I can't take this…  _

            "Dutchy…are you okay?"

            Spot sat down beside me on the couch, and I nodded and sat up again, wondering why he would care how I was feeling.

            "Look, I know you miss Specs, but you've gotta cheer up. You've done nothing but mope around since he left."

            "I know." I said. I didn't want to argue with Spot right now, I just wanted to wallow in self misery.

            "Do I need to 'pull a Blink' and throw you in the pool?"

             I looked up at him, and I'm sure I looked pretty panicked. But then I was just annoyed. "You couldn't if you tried."

            "Yeah, guess not."

            He stood up and left me sitting there alone, and I sighed with relief. I leaned back and closed my eyes, trying to imagine that Specs was here, sitting beside me, and not halfway across the country. Or further.

            Quite suddenly I felt something snap down over my head and I opened my eyes, realizing that all I could see was cloth. Hands grabbed at my limbs, lifting me off the couch and starting to move me.

            I started yelling as much profanity as I could get out in one breath, kicking and fighting but unable to break free. I heard the guys laughing, and then I heard the back door open.

            Oh, shit.

            I finally broke a leg free and got in a good kick, and I heard someone moan and the thud of them dropping, but someone else got a grip on my leg before I could do more damage. I was swung backward once, and then I was flying through the air.

            I hit the freezing cold water, and I quickly pushed myself back to the surface and pulled the bag off my head. On dry ground stood Spot, Skittery, and Race, laughing hysterically.

            "You guys are sick. Sick, sick, sick." I snapped, pulling myself out of the pool. "Who did I nail, anyway?"

            Race stopped laughing long enough to answer me. "Blink. Right where it hurts most, man."

            Oh. Whoops. No wonder I'd heard a loud moan- I would be crying if I got kicked there. And Blink was nowhere in sight. Neither was Mush, for that matter. I looked through the window and spotted them sitting on the couch, and I couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Mush was laughing and Blink was sending him bad looks- when he could. He was doubled over, still recovering from the pain.

            I quickly decided to go in and apologize. It was funny, but I had the feeling Blink would hate me for weeks on end if I didn't apologize to him.

Race

            The doorbell again. I walked to the door, and upon opening it, I wished I never had.

            "Hi Race! Oh my gosh, can you believe I'm actually here? This is great! I mean, like, I get to meet Skittery and all the guys! Aren't you excited?"

            "Grace-"

            "I knew I'd love it here!" She squeaked, walking past me and into the house. I sighed and took her bag, almost dropping it due to the fact that it felt like it was filled with bricks.

            "I'm gonna go meet the guys. You can take that on to my room." She said, and I scowled as I dragged her bricks through the house to the bedroom. 

            Of all the people big brother could've picked…

Skittery

            "Oh. My. God. It's you! It's actually you!"

            I turned around and found myself face to face with a small girl with dark, curly hair, tanned skin, and deep brown eyes, a girl who was practically vibrating as she stood before me. 

            "Um…and you are?"

            "I'm Grace. I'm Race's cousin."

            "Oh…hi."

            Wasn't she supposed to hate me? I mean, I beat up her cousin!

            "Can I touch you?"

            Spot burst out laughing, and I was busy being absolutely floored. "Excuse me?"

            She suddenly reached forward and touched my chest with her fingertips, and with that, she burst out into giggles and spun around and ran back into the house, yelling for Race and saying something like "He's real, Race! I actually touched him!" It was hard to decipher anything through all the giggles.

            "What…was that?" I asked Spot and he laughed again.

            "That was probably the leader of your internet fan club."

            "Internet WHAT?"

            He sighed and walked over to me. "You're famous now, buddy. You probably have thousands of girls who would give _anything_ to have a date with you. She…" he gestured toward where Grace had gone, "is just one of the more obsessed of those fans."

            "I don't _want_ people to be that obsessed with me! _THAT_ was fuckin' scary!"

            "Yeah, well, get used to it. And just hope you have a strong writing hand for giving out autographs." 

            With that, he patted me on the back, and left me alone with my own thoughts. But I didn't get much peace before Grace was back outside, sitting beside me on the grass and starting up a one sided conversation. I only had to nod once in a while, or say 'Yeah', and she was satisfied.

            I was only saved when the doorbell rang again, and I took the opportunity to get away from her and go answer the door.

            "Hello there." The boy at the door said as he adjusted his tie. That's right- his tie.

            "Um…hi."

            An awkward silence. "Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked, and I opened the door wider and gestured for him to come in. He surveyed the front room, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

            "When was the last time this filthy house was cleaned? Or are gay people too busy with other things to keep a clean home?"

            Okay, that was it. I was tempted to shove him back out the door now. But instead, I slammed the door shut as hard as I could and then grabbed him by the collar and slammed him up against it.

            "_Take that back before I make you a part of the flooring._" I hissed, and he swallowed hard.

            "Okay, okay, I take it back! Please put me down!"

            I didn't oblige him quite yet. "The next time I hear a peep out of your snotty little mouth about the people in this house…or homosexuals in general…I will make sure that you are missing a few body parts when you leave that I'm sure you would rather keep. Do you understand me, you little piece of shit?"

            He whimpered and nodded, and I dropped him and turned around only to discover that everyone in the house- and I mean everyone, even the new people- had seen the whole episode. And for a moment, everything was silent.

            "Go Skittery! That was great, Skitts!" Blink said, slapping me on the back with a huge grin on his face. Everyone else either sighed in frustration or agreed with Blink- and surprisingly no one seemed interested in helping the boy whom I had just threatened.

            "Who are you, anyway?" Race asked, staring the boy down.

            "My name is Austin Theodore Jackson. I'm Spot's best friend from home."

            All eyes landed on Spot. "You're kidding, right?" Dutchy said, looking from Austin to Spot and then back to Austin.

            Spot shook his head, and then grabbed Austin's bag and motioned for him to follow.

            "Come on. You and me need to talk."

            "You and I, Spot." Austin corrected, but Spot just ignored him. They left, and I started to do the same, but someone grabbed my shoulder.

            "Skittery."

            I turned around and faced Dutchy, wondering if he was mad at me for something. He sounded awfully somber.

            And then, quite suddenly, he hugged me. At first I wasn't quite sure what to do, but then I realized that he was crying, and I wrapped my arms around him and just let him cry on my shoulder. It took me a few moments to relax, being that close to someone, but all he needed was someone to be there for him when Specs couldn't.

            And that I could do.

Spot

            "What were you thinking?!"

            Austin continued unpacking his meticulously folded clothes, not looking at me as he spoke. "I was thinking about the inch thick layer of dust on the shelves."

            "And you somehow found that as a reason to _insult half the people in the house_?"

            He shrugged, something he only does when he's really off-balance because it's so 'improper'. "Father told me that gay people didn't tend to clean often."

            "You know that's a bunch of bull shit."

            "No, actually, I don't. Because I don't stay with the likes of homosexuals any longer than I have to."

            "Well, get used to it. Because Skittery will have your head if you so much as let one word slip about the homosexuals in this house."

            "Yes, I noticed that. I should've expected that reaction from a poor, abused, suicidal child. He can't be right in the brain."

            I growled. "Don't ever speak like that about any of my friends, or _I'll_ have your head myself."

            His eyes widened. "I thought you were my friend. Surely you have more sense than to become 'friends' with the likes of _them_!"

            "They're better friends than you'll ever be. You watch your mouth, because when Skittery makes a threat, _he means it_. Just ask Race."

            With that, I stalked out of the room. I couldn't stand to be around him right now. In fact, I couldn't quite remember how I could ever stand to be around him in the first place.

            "Hey Spot…interesting friend you've got there." Race said.

            "Not exactly a friend. Not anymore, at least."

            "That's good. Cause he didn't exactly make a good impression, you know."

            "He never does. He's very homophobic."

            "Obviously."

            I sighed. "How much longer till the next one?"

            "Ten minutes."

            "Who's left?"

            "Skittery and Mush. Mush ain't doing so good. He's really nervous."

            "I would be too."

            I grabbed a bag of Oreos out of the cupboard and started snacking, something I tend to do when I'm upset. And for ten minutes, that was all we did. We just sat in silence…well, except for Race yelling at me when he realized that I was eating the icing out of the Oreos, putting them back together, and then putting them back in the carton. I ignored him though.

            The doorbell rang. And when Dutchy opened the door, I just about ran from the room screaming.

            A boy stood in the doorway, wearing jeans ten sizes too big and covered with chains and leash-looking things, and a skintight black shirt. He had crosses painted on his face, and he had a foot-tall bright green Mohawk on his head.

            He flashed a smile at Dutchy before walking in- and then he promptly slapped Dutchy on the ass as he walked by him.

            "If you ever get tired of waiting on Specs, just come to me, sexy." He said, and I don't think I've ever seen Dutchy so angry before. Skittery pulled Dutchy back, and then he turned to face the Mohawk boy.

            "Ace, now is not the time to start hitting on people. Especially not Dutchy. Got it?"

            Ace held up his hands in defeat. "Yeah, okay, okay. I was just kidding, really."

            Yeah, right.

            "So you're Spot? And you…you're Race?" Ace asked, sitting down between us at the breakfast bar.

            "Yep."

            "Nice to meet you. I'm Ace, Skittery's flamer friend."

            Race snorted. "Looks like the straight guys are still outnumbered."

            Ace grinned. "You sure are."

Mush

            The next time the doorbell rang, it would be for me. I knew it. And I was scared to death. But Blink was right there the whole time.

            "I'm sorry, Blink. I must be a real drag right now." I said.

            "You're never a drag. You couldn't be a drag if you tried." He insisted.

            "I'm still sorry about it…how much longer?"

            Blink looked at his watch. "Five minutes. No…four."

            I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. My heart was beating so fast I thought I might be having a heart attack. Or hyperventilating. Who would they send? Linette? Ashley?

            I could only hope and pray that they didn't send Toby. If they sent Toby, I may as well sign my own death certificate. Maybe Blink's too.

            "Blink?"

            "Yeah?"

            "I love you."

            He looked over at me, a smirk on his face. "You're not going to die today, Mush. Don't start getting all over the 'final words'."

            "I know, I just wanted to say it before the bomb hits."

            He threw an arm around me, his laughter not even the slightest bit strained. "I love you too, Mush."

            _Ding dong._

I pulled him closer to me, held him tighter. Because I might not get the chance to do that for the next few days. Hell was about to take over the house.

            I heard the door open. I heard Race say 'hi', but I didn't hear an answer. Not at first.

            "Where is he?"

            I immediately recognized the gravely voice. Toby.

            "Blink, I'm scared." I managed to choke out.

            "Don't be. I love you. That's all we need to get through this." He whispered as heavy footsteps approached. Toby is only a year and a half older than me, but he's three times my size. He's the star football player at out school, the star track runner, the star weight lifter…basically, the star everything. And he is an intimidating guy.

            "Leave, fag." He said, directing the remark at Blink. Blink stood up, but he didn't budge from where he stood.

            Toby growled. "I said leave. If you know what's good for you."

            "I'm not going anywhere. Whatever you have to say to him, you can say it in front of me." Blink said, slipping his arm around my waist as I stood up. I could tell that that simple move made Toby even madder than before, if that's possible.

            "Get your filthy hands off my little brother." Toby hissed.

            A surge of courage suddenly ran through me. I don't really know what happened. I just know that all of a sudden, I wasn't willing to put up with how Toby was treating Blink. And I didn't want Blink to have to keep protecting me because I was too scared to do anything.

            I grabbed Blink's hand and slid it lower down on my body, a smile on my face. A smile of challenge.

            "He'll put his hands wherever he so pleases."

            Blink raised an eyebrow at me and I smirked as the vein on Toby's forehead began to stand out with absolute rage. He clenched his fists, looking just about ready to pounce.

            "What's wrong, Toby? Something bothering you? Something like this?"

            I grabbed Blink by the waist and pressed myself against him, and then I kissed him more deeply and more passionately than I ever had, excluding our first kiss in the soaked hammock, of course. Blink was surprised at first, but he soon got into it, and I heard Toby's moan of absolute disgust before he leaped forward.

            He didn't get to us, though. Someone grabbed him from behind and threw him back, and an utterly enraged Skittery began throwing punches.

            He shouldn't have been able to take out Toby. Every single law of physics was against him, since Toby had to be five times his size, not in height but in muscle. But Skittery was just plain fierce, and Toby wasn't prepared for it. In fact, it took four of us to pull Skittery off of him.

            "Doesn't this seem familiar?" Dutchy asked as Toby stomped into the backyard and we held Skittery to the floor as he began to calm down. 

            "Yeah. But this time Skitts had the right idea."

AN: Wow, this chapter is long. I know I said the head of household competition would be in here, but this was just too fun and already too long. Next chapter, I promise. 


	31. AN

Hi people! Sorry, this is not a new chapter, but I'm begging that everyone read this.

We are down to six newsies left: Dutchy, Skittery, Blink, Race, Mush, and Spot. And I don't want to be the only one deciding their fates. So I'm taking a four-part vote.

Who do you want the final two to be? What should be the order of eviction from here on out? Who should win? Any other ideas for games, occurrences, conflicts, etc. that you wish to add. 

Now, I know what's going to happen. You're all going to read this and say, "Oh well, everyone else will do it, I don't have to do it. I can be a lazy bum and everyone else will take care of it." If everyone says that, no one will do it! Please…if you have any interest in how this story turns out, help out the worried author.

PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THIS IN A REVIEW. I don't want everyone's votes out there for everyone to see, or it may ruin the whole idea. The whole 'surprise' factor. Please send the survey directly to me at dontblink_@hotmail.com.

Also, I'm sorry if you guys hate doing this. I know I do. But I am completely clueless as to what the majority of people want to happen, and I don't want to lose readers by making stupid mistakes and kicking out the wrong people. I'm looking out for you guys, really! 

Is it against the rules here to add a chapter that's not a chapter? Hmm……..if it is, don't report me. There I go, begging again. 

Okay…now that that's over with, go write up your votes and send them to me! I can't wait to see some of your ideas! Thank you SOOO much ahead of time for taking the time to help out.


	32. Silk and Grape Juice Don't Mix

AN: Thanks for all your suggestions! There was an overwhelming majority on who should be the final two and who should win, but that doesn't mean I'll go by it…it all depends. But if I do go by it, now I can blame it on YOU GUYS if it doesn't work out! BWAHAHAHA!!! Okay…I'm done now, no more hints. Time for the head of household competition…

Also, I had a concern that the family guests were taking away from the main storyline of the guys in the house. In order to avoid this, I am not going to be writing from the point of view of the guests. They are simply pawns…little, trouble causing pawns…

Race

            "Grace…you really need to stay away from Skittery."

            Grace sighed. "What, because he beat the shit out of _you_? I can handle myself just fine, thank you."

            "He's a criminal. And an insane schitzo who goes off the handle without warning. He's gonna kill you." I said, trying to get through her thick skull with this.

            "Yeah, but he's really cute."

            I groaned. "That doesn't make up for murderous tendencies."

            She stood up and walked out, and I dropped my head into my hands. Skitts was going to kill her, no doubt about it. 

            "Need a companion, sweetie?"

            Reno. She just couldn't stop flirting. If an asteroid hit this house, I was sure she'd be flirting in her dying breath.

            "Not right now, Reno."

            I felt her sit down next to me anyway. "Aw, come on. A back massage, maybe?" she said, her hands locking on my shoulders and beginning the massage. At first I leaned into it, arching my neck at the exquisite pressure on my tight muscles. But then I remembered that this was the exact way that she got Blink hooked. And then she cheated on him. And then she got mad cause he wouldn't sleep with her.

            Just the beginning.

            I leaped up from the bed, throwing my hands up. "No. I'm fine, Reno. Leave."

            She stood up, her hands on her hips. "Just relax, Race. I don't bite. Not often, anyway."

            Believe me, it was tempting. The luscious curves emphasized by a very short, sleeveless, low cut white dress, the soft lips, the sultry voice…I didn't see how Blink resisted this, even to the point of being dumped. It was…overwhelming. And before I knew it, her hands were sliding around my neck.

            I yelped and shoved her away, and then I took off, slamming through the door and running to the kitchen, where Skittery was cooking another exquisite meal for us. He looked up at me with a raised eyebrow- and an absolutely huge knife in his hand.

            "Where's the fire?" he asked, chopping a row of carrots into shreds at lightening speed.

            "I just…I…um…"

            He chuckled, looking past me. "Nevermind."

            I turned around to see a very pissed off looking Reno, and I sat down at the table with everyone else, avoiding even looking at her. But she quickly recovered, straitening her white silk dress, and then the little tramp made a beeline for Skittery.

            "Hey there. What's cooking?" she asked, and then she pulled a stunt that I was sure would get her killed- she slid her arms around Skittery's waist as he worked. Dutchy and I shared a startled glance, but Skittery seemed to be ignoring her for now.

            "Why don't you just wait until it's done?" Skittery said, no sign of tension in his voice. He reached up and opened a cupboard, pulling out a small jar as Reno's grip tightened on him.

            "I like a guy who can cook. Cause…they can get things really hot…really fast. Or so I've heard." Reno said, lowering her voice, her mouth right up against Skittery's neck. Dutchy and I were holding our breath now.  

            Skittery suddenly turned around, grabbing Reno's waist and pulling her within a few inches of him. I was baffled- until he poured the contents of the jar down Reno's dress, a purple stain now covering most of the front of the silk white fabric. She shouted and jumped back in surprise, and then looked up at Skittery in a panic.

            "WHAT IS THAT?!"

            Skittery shrugged and studied the knife in his hands. "Just grape juice. You know, I hear that stuff stains clothes permanently." He leaned forward, his face just a few inches from Reno's as she fumed in absolute fury. "_And there's more where that came from if you ever touch me again._"

Reno's mouth was hanging open, her face beet red and her shoulder and arms shaking all the way down to her fingertips. She didn't look like a supermodel right now- she looked like a demon straight from hell. Then, she turned around and headed for her room.

            "Do you realize how much this cost me? This is pure silk! I'm going to call my lawyer the second I'm out of here! You'll pay for this! I HATE YOU!"

_            Slam!_

            And as soon as the door shut, everyone in the room started laughing hysterically. Skittery started passing out plates as if nothing had happened, but even he was smiling. We could still hear Reno yelling something about taking all of Skittery's money, taking all his mother's money, taking all of our money for allowing it to happen…and so on.

            And life goes on, as normal.

Blink

            I was sitting next to Mush, receiving death glares throughout the whole meal from Toby- but he didn't dare make a move with Skittery and the other guys in the same room. Reno still hadn't come out, and we were almost done eating. I knew her- she would stay locked in there all day if she had to to coax an apology out of Skittery. She would eventually have to figure out that he had no intention of apologizing, though.

            "So...Austin, have you been watching the show?" Penny asked, a feeble attempt at shutting up Grace, who had been going on and on about her science teacher back home.

            "Nope."

            "Why not?"

            "Because it made me sick. Literally. Far too much PDA, as far as boy on boy goes." Austin said matter-of-factly, leading to another awkward silence.

            This time, Toby spoke. "What about you, Penny? Have you been watching?"

            "Of course."

            "Then you'll surely agree with me on how that demon corrupted my brother."

            "Enough!" Skittery snapped, and Toby immediately shut up. Just like that. Skittery glared at Toby and Austin. "I don't know what it's going to take to get through to you two, so I'll go by the best way I know. Austin…any more derogatory remarks about homosexuals, and I will make it so that no girl will have any interest in dating you ever again. Because you will no longer be capable of giving them what they want after I'm done with you. And Toby, if you say another word about Mush and Blink, there will be hell to pay. If you go near them, God himself won't be able to save you. And if you so much as lay a finger on either one of them…use your imagination, cause what I would do is not even appropriate to _say_ on TV. Do you both understand?"

            No response from anyone. You could've heard a pin drop in that room.

            "Toby? Austin? _Am I understood_?" 

            Toby and Austin both nodded slowly, their eyes wide at Skittery's outburst.

            Complete silence once again. Then Skittery threw down his napkin and stalked to the backyard. The door slammed shut behind him, and still the silence chilled the air. Then Mush pushed his chair back and went after Skittery.

            Such is the life of the big brother house…

Dutchy

            Sarah had the six newbies stay inside while we had the head of household competition. She said something about the distraction being much too great. And standing in the backyard were three connected cages- each one smaller than the first. 

            "Go into the first cage and shut the door behind you."

            "All six of us?" Race asked incredulously.

            "Yes, all six of you."

            We all climbed into the cage, and I was shoulder to shoulder with Blink on one side and Skittery on the other. It was cramped, and since Skittery was the tallest, he ended up banging his head on the top multiple times.

            Sarah began to explain once the door was closed. "No food, no water, no sleeping. In order to move into the next cage, two of you must leave. After that, the remaining four can move into the next cage. At that time, two more of you will have to leave, and the final two can move into the smallest cage. The house guest to last the longest will win head of household. Good luck, boys."

            With that, she was gone. And we were alone. I gripped the bars and leaned my forehead against them, wondering why I was even bothering. I didn't want to stay here, not really. I was beginning to accept the fact that Specs was gone, and I was looking forward to seeing him again, but I had realized that I honestly didn't want to stay here. It wasn't because I was weak. It wasn't even because of the other people. I loved all of the original guys like brothers. I just felt like I was done.

            "Thank you. All of you."

            Blink looked over at me in confusion. "For what?"

            I laughed. "For putting up with me this long. I've been…I've been a real drag."

            "You've had your reasons. We understand." Mush said.

            "Well…thank you anyway."

            And with that, I pushed through the other guys and stepped out of the cage. No one said a word. They knew what this meant. 

            I wanted out. Not enough to go around begging to be evicted, but enough to put on an air of indifference. Enough to just sit back, relax, and wait for my time to come.

            And I was happy that way. I was truly happy. Because I felt like everything would be okay now, no matter how long I lasted- to the end of this week, or to the real end.

            No matter how long I lasted, Specs would be waiting on me when I walked out that door.

Spot

            It had been two and a half hours, and all my limbs were aching. I held onto the bars, watching Dutchy as he laid on his back in the grass outside the cage and dozed. He seemed to be as happy as I'd seen him since Specs left, which confused me a bit, because he just threw the head of household competition.

            Skittery was having a horrible time of this. Not only was he the tallest one of us, a big strain on his neck, but he had admitted to us about ten minutes into it that he was extremely claustrophobic. Now he was breathing hard, sweating like crazy, and his face was very pale. Extremely pale. I couldn't see him without twisting my neck uncomfortably far, though, so I decided to just straight up ask him.

            "Skitts…are you alright?" I asked, and he nodded fiercely. 

            "I'm fine. Just fine."

            I had never heard his voice shake before, and it kind of scared me. He had to be terrified. And then, quite suddenly, he collapsed. He just dropped.

            Dutchy was at the cage door in a flash, yanking it open and grabbing onto Skittery, who was completely out. For the second time in his stay in the house.

            Dutchy was struggling with Skittery, and I could tell he wasn't going to be able to get him out alone. I saw a glance between Blink and Mush, and then they shared a quick kiss.

            "Go ahead. I'll hold the fort here." Blink said, and Mush helped Dutchy carry Skittery's limp body out of the cage and onto the grass. I guess Mush felt like he owed it to Skittery, after Mush's ordeal with the ice. And now Blink would be more determined than ever to stay in till the end.

            Blink, Race, and I moved into the second cage, Skittery's unexpected demise leaving us with only one person to leave in order to move into the next cage. My muscles were screaming at me, my stomach was growling, and I was parched. But I wasn't leaving.

            Race finally left four hours into the game. I don't know why, and particularly, I didn't care. Blink and I moved into the final cage, and there was barely any room to move. We weren't talking anymore, just waiting. Waiting for the other to give in to the physical demands.

            Five hours passed on the clock. It was getting chilly, and I kept nodding off, but always catching myself at the last second. Blink didn't seem to be having any trouble with this- he just stood, his hands on the bars, his eyes on some distant spot that obviously no one else could see. But when Mush showed up, I felt his tough front just melt.

            They didn't say a word. They grabbed hands and Mush leaned on the bars, the only thing holding them apart from each other. There was so much energy in the air, and yet not a word was spoken.

            And at that moment, I knew this competition wasn't mine to win. My instincts told me that this wasn't my time to fight. I stepped out of the cage.

Skittery

            "Skittery? Skitts, are you okay?"

            An overly feminine voice woke me, and I opened my eyes to Grace standing over me. Shit…exactly who I wanted to see after having a panic attack.

            I sat up and looked around, wondering why in hell no one else was here. Who in their right mind would leave this girl in the sitting room with me, alone, while I was unconscious? But Mush walked back in before she could say a word, a huge smile on his face and carrying a bowl.

            "I tried that recipe you showed me. I'm…not really sure how it turned out, though." He said, setting the bowl of soup in front of me. Dutchy started a conversation with Grace to get her away from me while I ate, and I took a tentative bite.

            "Wow…Mush…"

            "It's horrible, right?" he interrupted, cringing as he sat across from me.

            "No…this is perfect! You have the touch. Definitely." 

            "Really?"

            "Really."

            Dutchy couldn't keep Grace at bay any longer. She sat down beside me, and I stifled a frustrated groan. 

            And so, she talked. And talked. And talked some more. And she didn't stop talking until Blink had won head of household for the second time in a row.

AN: I know that in the real big brother, no person can be head of household two weeks in a row. Or a least, I think that's the rule. But I don't like it, so I'm not going to follow it. Fire me if you want, but that would mean no more story. Eeek.

Next chapter- food competition. And this week, it's going to be different…VERY different…

Hehe…Skittery's gone insane in this chapter. First Reno's dress, then his dinner table threats, then passing out in the cage…wow. He's a busy boy. I keep him very busy. ^__^

Review! I luv reviews!


	33. Punches

AN: This chapter is going to be FUN FUN FUN. I am giggling hysterically right now. Literally. Time for the food competition, and this week, the guys are really going to have to work for their food…

Oh…and if anyone is very squeamish, I'm warning that you might want to skip this chapter. It practically made me sick just writing it. If you get sick easily, _turn back now_. Think fear factor this time. I'm not going to elaborate for fear of giving it away, but when the time comes, you'll know. I am not responsible if you become sick during this chapter!

What a nice note to end on. For all you brave souls, read on!

Mush

            "Mush, can I talk to you?"

            I turned around, and Toby was standing right behind me. Blink scowled, but he let me speak for myself.

            "Sure."

            "In private?"

            Blink gave me a look that told me he was completely against me being alone in a room with Toby, but I knew better. He may not agree with me, but he was still my brother.

            "Yeah. I'll be right back, Blink."

            Blink muttered something and dropped onto the couch, crossing his arms to show he was displeased with my decision. I followed Toby into the bedroom, and he shut the door behind us.

            "Just what has happened to you?" he asked.

            "I fell in love. Isn't it obvious?"

            "No, you didn't fall in love. Love does not exist between two _men_."

            "Are you saying you don't love me?"

            He growled. "You know what I mean. Don't play naïve with me…you've played it enough on them."

            He began to pace, rubbing his chin in obvious frustration. 

            "Look, Toby, you aren't going to change my mind."

            "Oh, I will. I will even if it means making sure you never see him again after you leave here."

            "You can't do that!"

            "I have authority over you; I can do whatever I want with you!"

            That was enough. He was just not going to listen to me at all. I walked to the door, but as I reached for the doorknob, he grabbed my shoulder and slammed me up against the wall.

            "You aren't leaving until you've agreed to stop this nonsense." He hissed, his hands gripping my shoulders in a painfully tight lock. I struggled against it, but he only made it more painful.

            "_I'm in love_! Obviously something you'll never know about because you just _screw_ _girls and then dump them_!"  I screamed, and his eyes widened. I had promised to never tell mom and dad about his little secret life as a player- he had to have slept with twenty-five girls by now. And now, not only had I told mom and dad, but I'd told the whole nation. 

            He let go of me, and at first I thought he would just let me go. But I wasn't that lucky.

            His fist connected with my jaw, sending me flying into a table, the wood splintering under the impact. I guess the noise alerted the others, because in two seconds flat Spot and Blink had thrown open the door and were on him.

            "I'll kill you! _I'll kill you, you little fag!_" Toby screamed as they dragged him out. Then Skittery was on the scene.

            Need I say more?

            Blink ran over to me and helped me out of the pile of wood that used to be a table, and I leaned up against the wall, wiping the blood from my lip.

            "Are you alright? Anything broken?" He asked, sitting on the floor in front of me.

            "Yeah, I'm okay." I said, my speech slightly altered from the fact that my jaw now hurt like hell. He gently touched my face where Toby had punched me, and I yanked away, pain exploding through my face and neck.

            "I never should've left you alone with him." He whispered, so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

            "It's okay. I've had worse."

            He arched an eyebrow. "What? Been beat up worse?"

            "No. I got kicked by a horse. You don't know pain until you've been kicked by a horse."

            He shook his head. "No…seeing you get hurt is worse. No horse could put me through that much pain."

Dutchy

            In the backyard sat a long table with six place settings, and at each setting sat a large silver plate that was presently covered. I sat down where it had my name, and the word 'Wednesday'.

            I had a feeling that I knew where this was going.

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            "In front of each of you sits a plate and a day of the week. On the plate is a special cuisine baked just for you. If you manage to eat all the food on your plate in under two minutes, then you will have normal food for that day of the week. If not, it's PB+J for that day.

            We all groaned. I, personally, would never want to see another peanut butter sandwich in my life.

            "If you so choose, once your plate has been revealed, you can switch with the next person. However, you won't know what dish you have switched to until after the switch, and you cannot switch again. The order will go: Spot, Dutchy, Race, Skittery, and Mush, the exact way you are seated. Does everyone understand?"

            "Yes."

            "Good. Oh, and by the way…there are buckets by your chairs in case you need to throw up. Spot, go ahead and uncover your dish."

            Spot lifted up the cover on his dish, and inside sat three large, slimy red balls. Very disgusting looking. Extremely.

            Sarah explained further. "Spot, you are competing for normal food on Tuesday. And what you're eating are three scrumptious coagulated cow blood balls. That is, if you don't want to switch with Dutchy."

            Spot bit his lower lip, looking from his plate to my covered plate and then back to his. And then he said, "No way. I'm switching, man."

            He switched plates with me, and I wasn't too happy about it. Spot uncovered his new dish, and on it sat a very large…egg.

            Sarah chuckled. "Your new dish is a duck egg. With a mostly developed duck fetus inside. Good luck. The time begins…now."

            Spot cracked open the egg, and I practically gagged as I realized that the embryo was still inside. It had eyes, even starting to develop feet…and Spot had to eat it. At first he looked like he was just going to throw this and walk away, but then he took a bite.

            And I felt my stomach flip when I actually heard the half formed skull crunch between his teeth.

            He closed his eyes tightly and just kept chewing, swallowing hard and taking another huge bite. I looked away, not able to watch him finish it off. But when the timer went off, I looked back. He had done it. He had eaten that whole thing. And it was my turn now. 

            I looked down at the plate with absolute disgust. No, worse than disgust. I mean, I was eating _clotted cow's blood_. You try it someday, you'll see what I mean.

            Sarah started the timer, and I shoved the first one in my mouth and just about threw up just from that. It was slimy on the outside, but it was tough, gritty, and dry on the inside. It stuck to my mouth like peanut butter, and I just couldn't seem to swallow. I heard the other guys urging me on, but this was worse than anything I'd ever tasted. And believe me, I've eaten some odd things. 

            I finally got the first one down, and for a moment, I hovered between getting sick and continuing. But then I thought of the peanut butter and jelly again, and how this temporary torture could be a whole lot better than that. I put the next one in my mouth and started chewing.

            It just wasn't going to work. I couldn't swallow it. The timer rang, and I leaned over the bucket and promptly threw up. 

            They gave me a little time to recover and I quickly drank a glass of water, my knees shaky. I never wanted to look at a cow again. Or a peanut butter sandwich.

            "That's normal food for Tuesday, PB+J for Wednesday. Race, uncover your bowl." Saran said, and Race lifted the cover off his dish.

            He recoiled in horror and dropped the lid on the ground with a yelp of surprise. I had to look very hard to see if it was actually dead.

            Lying on his plate were two raw octopus tentacles, looking as if they could roll off the plate and come to life any second. I mean, for goodness sake, the suckers were still attached!

            "Race, do you wish to trade with Blink?" Sarah asked. Race stared at the plate for a moment, and then he surprised me by refusing the switch. The timer started, and he went right at it.

            "It's like rubber." He said around a large bite of the stuff. "But not bad."

            "Shut up and eat!" Spot yelled, and Race continued at lightening speed.

            And he actually got it all down, with only three seconds to spare.

            Blink was next. And we all about lost it when he lifted the lid.

            On the plate sat two cockroaches the size of my hand. Not alive, but not cooked in any way either. Blink started shaking his head fiercely, and immediately shoved the plate down to Skittery, who was next in line. Skittery handed him the other bowl, and once again, Blink lifted off the lid.

            It was a yellowish, thick looking soup with strings of white stuff in it. I would never have known what it was if Sarah hadn't explained.

            "Blink, your dish is called haggis. It is raw sheep intestine and stomach ground up into a thick soup. Your time begins now."

            "Just chug it, Blink." Race suggested, and Blink shot him a dirty look.

            "Easy for _you_ to say!"

            He brought the bowl to his lips and took a sip. And it was as if he'd just kissed a hot frying pan. He yanked back, his eyes wide as he stared at the stuff in the bowl.

            "Come on. You can do it." I said, and he tried again. He got about three gulps down before he slammed the bowl on the table and started gagging, leaving his seat and walking away.

            He let the time just run out as he kneeled in the grass, gasping for air as if he were breathing through a straw. That stuff must have been really awful.

            And so now it was Skittery's turn. We had normal food on Tuesday and Thursday, PB+J on Wednesday and Friday. And now Skitts was aiming for Saturday. What was really funny was that he refused to trade, and he didn't seem all that worried about eating roaches. Or, as Sarah so elegantly put it, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. 

            The timer began, and Skittery took a huge bite, the sickening crunch bringing up the sick feeling all over again. He chewed a little, swallowed hard, and smirked.

            "Not bad. Tastes just like fried chicken."

            We all knew he was lying. But he ate both roaches in about one minute without even _looking_ sick, and I began to wonder if they really _did_ taste like fried chicken, or if Skitts could just eat anything. He took a swig of water once he was done, and then he started laughing.

            "What's so funny?" Blink muttered.

            "That was the most horrible thing I've eaten in my life." Skittery said, still shaking his head and laughing. I didn't see what was quite so funny about that, but he has a weird sense of humor anyway.

            Now it was down to Mush for Sunday. Since Monday was already over we got off the hook for that one, but I was still really wanting Mush to get this. But as soon as he pulled the lid off his dish, I knew he wouldn't be able to do it.

            Sarah explained as all of us fell silent. "Mush, your cuisine for the evening is two tasty raw cow eyes. And since you can't switch, the timer starts now. Good luck."

            Mush looked about ready to lose it, even though he hadn't even touched the things yet. But I wouldn't have touched them either, let alone put them in my mouth. But after a few seconds, he got his courage. He picked one of them up, trying to keep a hold on the slimy eyeball, and then he popped it in his mouth.

            And I thought he was going to die. He doubled over and squeezed his eyes shut as he chewed, and then, very slowly, he swallowed. It had taken him a full minute just to down one. He cringed as he put the next one in his mouth, and he was so off-balance about it, I truly thought that he was going to throw up.

            But he didn't. And with two seconds to go, he forced himself to swallow.

            We had normal food for Sunday.

Blink

            Time for nominations. I wasn't worried about who I'd picked this week- I knew everyone would understand. The box of safety only had three keys in it this week- I had my own around my neck, and the two nominees were in the bag.

            Haha. In the bag. Yeah…awful, I know.

            "Alright, people…let's do this." I pulled the first key out. "Mush, you're safe."

            I gave him a quick kiss and put his key around his neck, much to the enragement of Toby. Austin did a very fake, very untalented gag. Believe me, if I pretended to gag or choke, these guys would be calling an ambulance in two seconds flat.

            Not that I'm egotistical about my acting talent or anything.

            Next key. "Spot, you're safe."

            That left Race, Dutchy, and Skittery. If I were going by strategy, I would nominate Race and Skittery.

            "Skittery, you're safe."

            But this was one instance where going by strategy would be downright cruel to a certain someone who seriously wanted out.

AN: Ew. Please excuse the author while she gags in her chair. Yuck. I'm a very picky eater, so this was an especially hard chapter for me. Hope you guys found it funny, though! Next chapter…is a secret. BWAHAHAHA!!! 


	34. They're In Love, You Idiot!

AN: Sorry about the missed update yesterday. To make it up, I'm going to try for two chapters tonight, since I don't have rehearsal anyway. Time for a chapter of general household fun!

Race

            The sitting room was mostly quiet, with Toby in one room and Blink and Mush having run outside at top speed just a few moments ago. Austin was reading a book and simply tolerating Ace sitting beside him- today Ace was wearing skintight plaid pants and a skintight black and grey shirt, and sparkly eyeshadow. Needless to say, everyone except Skittery was thinking the same thing when he came to breakfast- Oh holy mother of God.

            The room was almost uncomfortably quiet, with Skittery and I sitting on one couch and Austin and Ace on the other. But when Ace put down his magazine and looked over at Austin with a sly smile, I knew something interesting was about to happen.

            "So…Austin…from New York, right?"

            Austin immediately took on his 'high society' air. "Yes."

            "I'll bet there are lots of hot guys there…aren't there?"

            "I wouldn't know, since I obviously don't think of other men like that."

            Ace's eyes lit up. "You know…you really should, cause you…you aren't that bad yourself."

            Austin looked up in a fury. "Why, you little-"

            He was stopped short when Ace looked over at Skittery, who was still calmly reading his magazine as if nothing was going on. Austin groaned and threw down his book, getting up and stomping out of the room.

            Without looking up from his magazine, Skittery said, "Try to contain yourself, Austin. You have a boyfriend back home."

            "No I don't!"

            "Oh, so that was another one night stand?"

            "Isn't everything another one night stand with me?"

            I looked from Skittery, to Ace, and back to Skittery. "So, were _you two_ a one night stand?"

            Skittery finally looked up, wrinkling his nose in disgust, but Ace got to answering before he did. 

            "No. I tried hitting on Skittery once at school, and he gave me a broken nose. We got to be friends in in-school suspension for that one." Ace looked over at Skittery and smiled. "He's one of the only straight friends I've got that I can actually stand to be around. He would've been a nice catch, though, if he weren't so damn violent."

            Skittery snorted and devoted his attention to his magazine once again, and I just shook my head. "Ace…really. You need therapy. Lots of it."

            Ace's eyes brightened once again. "Really?! Thanks!"

            Spot suddenly stomped in the room, shaving cream all over him.

            "WHERE ARE THEY??!! I'm going to kill them! I'll kill them both!" he screamed, wiping the shaving cream away from his eyes. I suddenly realized why Blink and Mush had run to the backyard in such a hurry.

            None of us wanted to make Spot mad, so all three of us pointed to the back door. He ran for the backyard, yelling about killing them, their mothers, their fathers, their acquaintances…and so on.  

            I sighed as I heard a few screams and two loud splashes. Spot may be small, but he certainly could fight when he wanted to. And I wasn't surprised about hearing a third splash a few moments later- Blink and Mush would never have let him get away with that.

            Toby walked in and looked out the back window, and I followed his gaze to see Blink and Mush laughing hysterically at Spot from dry land- and then Blink shoved Mush in. Mush grabbed Blink by the shorts as he fell, yanking him in along with him. 

            Toby sighed and collapsed on the couch beside me, keeping a close eye on Skittery but not saying a word.

            "Hey Toby." Ace said, a huge grin on his face. Skittery shot Ace a look that could kill, and Ace slid down in his seat and crossed his arms, attempting to gain Skittery's pity to let him have some fun with Toby.

            But no one gets Skittery's sympathy. No one.

            "Race…can I talk to you? In private?" Toby suddenly asked, and I looked up at him skeptically.

            "I remember what happened the last time you talked to someone in private."

            "No, man. This is different. Please?"

            Skittery raised his eyes from his magazine and I nodded, and Toby looked over at him a bit nervously. But he didn't say a word. I followed Toby into the kitchen, where he sighed and ran his hand through his hair, leaning on the counter.

            "What can I do, Race? How can I get through to him?"

            Oh, so that's what he wanted to talk about. He wanted me to help him break up Blink and Mush. That wasn't happening; I had been one of the people working to get them together in the first place!

            "There's nothing you can do, man. They're in love."

            His jaw dropped. "But you're not gay! How can you believe they could _love_ each other like _that_?"

            That comment made me angry. Very angry. 

            "Have you actually _watched_ them together?"

            "I'd rather not. That's disgusting."

            "Then you obviously haven't noticed the way they look at each other."

            He looked incredulous. Completely oblivious. "No. Guess not."

            I groaned. "You may as well give it up. _They're in love_. Your family can't change that, no matter how sinful it may seem to them."

            I left him in the kitchen, and I walked to the backyard, where Blink, Mush, and Spot were now lounging in the lawn chairs and about to fall out of their chairs in laughter. I shook my head and sat down, wondering what was so funny.

            "Oh, Race…you just missed the story!" Blink said, gasping for air after laughing so much.

            "What story?"

            "Reno tried to hit on Spot this morning…and he tripped her…and she fell right on Skittery and _totally flipped out_!" Mush explained.

            "Oh, so that's why she locked herself in her room again?"

            "That's not all!" Spot said. "Skittery didn't know I tripped her, he thought she did it on purpose. He carried her outside and threw her in the pool!"

            "I guess that's what we miss when we sleep in." I said to Mush and Blink, stifling my own laughter. The image in my head of Skittery throwing Reno in the pool…that was just…priceless.

            "Hey guys."

            We all looked up to see Penny standing in front of us- in a very skimpy bikini. A VERY skimpy bikini. In fact, she was barely wearing anything at all.

            "Hi Penny." Spot said nonchalantly. Blink raised an eyebrow, but just turned back to his conversation with Mush. 

            "Have you guys seen Dutchy?" she asked, looking around the backyard.

            "Yeah. He's taking a nap. He didn't feel so good." Mush said. She nodded and sat down with us, and that basically killed the conversation.

            Penny obviously noticed the silence. "Reno's out and about again." She said.

            "God save us all." Blink muttered, and we all snickered. He was right, after all. We'd need God to save us from her lawyers when she was out of the house.

AN: Next chapter will be veto competition, veto, votes, and eviction. I promise. And hopefully it will be up tonight. I'm very sorry I missed a day! That makes me feel awful…oh well…back to writing!


	35. Sarah Finally Loses It

AN: Sorry about missing another day…I know you guys SAY you don't mind, but I know you do! ADMIT IT! Okay…calming down now…just really. I don't like to let the storyline go stale in my head by missing a day.

Anyway, enough babble. Thanks to all my loyal reviewers, and here's chapter..umm…I think it's 35…I lost track. Okay, veto competition, veto meeting, votes and eviction…and a special surprise at the end…

Oh, and I'm kinda nervous about how this turned out. I think it's funny, especially the surprise scene at the end (omg, I think it's _hilarious_!) But I don't know about you guys. Tell me if you like the added _spice_!

Spot

            For the veto competition, we were all standing in walled-off cubicles in the backyard, and in front of us were 6 signs, each with the name of a former house guest on it. Sarah had already explained that we would be answering questions about our former house guests, and the last man standing got veto. Easy enough.

            "First question…Which former house guest said that his hobby was studying?" Sarah asked, and I chuckled. That one was way easy. Maybe too easy. I held up my sign with Davey's name on it, and after a few more seconds, Sarah spoke again.

            "Okay, everyone got that right except for Dutchy. Dutchy, please step down."

            That crazed lover was throwing the competition! No one in their right mind would miss that question. No one. Davey was much too…um…eccentric…to forget a fact like that about him.

            Dutchy was practically down on his knees, begging to be evicted.

            "Second question…Which former house guest ended up with bright green hair after the water balloon competition?"

            Oh, goodness…who was that? I knew it…I knew it…okay, I didn't know it. I couldn't remember. So I guessed Specs.

            "The correct answer is Specs. Everyone got it right. Next question. Which former house guest was the third head of household?"

            That one was hard. What was the competition the third week? It was…the furniture! It was Snitch! I raised my sign that said 'Snitch', and waited on Sarah's verdict.

            "The correct answer was Snitch. Blink, Race, you both got it wrong. You may step down."

            Blink, Race, and Dutchy were gone. That meant that Mush, Skittery, and I were the only ones left.

            "Fourth question…Which former house guest said that his favorite hobby was soccer?"

            Oh, that one was easy for me. Itey.

            "The correct answer is Itey. Everyone got it right. Next question…Which former house guest was the heaviest sleeper?"

            Oh, how could I forget…the night of truth and dare. I'd had to beat a frying pan an inch from Specs' ear to get him to wake up. I held up my sign with Specs' name on it.

            "The correct answer was Specs. Mush, you got it wrong. Please step down."

            It was down to me and Skittery now.

            "Which former house guest refused to say goodbye to a fellow house guest when he was evicted?"

            Easy. No one could forget Cowboy's refusal to see Skittery after what happened. Both of us got it right, so we had to face another one of Sarah's questions.

            "Which former house guest was the first to get dumped in the pool in the first head of household competition?"

            Bumlets. I remember, because he thought I wasn't an honor roll student.

            "Skittery, the correct answer was Bumlets. Congratulations, Spot…you have the power of veto."

Mush

            Time for the veto meeting. None of us were really sure what was going to happen…however, none of us really knew what we _wanted_ to happen either.  

            "All right, guys…time for the veto meeting. One of the few times without our annoying guests." Spot started out, and we all laughed. It was true after all- our competitions, nominations and veto meetings were the only times we could really have together, alone, anymore. It kind of made it worth all the emotions that went along with it.

            "You guys ready for this?" Spot asked, and we all either shrugged indifferently or nodded. Dutchy looked pretty much indifferent, and so did Race.

            "I chose to use the veto on…no one. I'm passing this time."

            Surprisingly, Dutchy was the one who heaved a sigh of relief. He had done everything except coming out and just telling us to vote him out. 

            However, in his position, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing.

**The Votes** (all _four_ of them! Wow! There's so many, I can't keep track! *fake cries*)

Blink

            I had planned on voting out Race. But when Mush came to me that afternoon, with _that look_ on his face, I couldn't say no to him. Sometimes I wish he wasn't _that_ cute, because I just can't say no to him. He uses _that face_ against me, probably without ever knowing he's doing it.

            I swear, I'm taking him straight to L.A. and putting him in some ads for Levi jeans. You know, the shirtless ones? Cause then everyone who saw _that_ ad with _that face_ in it would buy Levi's jeans, and I do ads for them, and therefore they'd have to pay me more. See? His cuteness can change paychecks. And that's a definite "go" in Hollywood.

            Okay, I'm getting off the subject here. So yeah…he convinced me, to put it short and sweet.

            I voted to evict Dutchy.

Mush

            I really wouldn't have minded getting Race out of the house, along with his loudmouth cousin. But this situation was under special circumstances. And those circumstances called for me to do otherwise.

            Dutchy had been sulking at first. Now he was throwing competitions altogether. He wanted to leave, and I didn't see any point in keeping someone in the game who didn't want to play anymore.

            I voted to evict Dutchy.

Spot

            Sure, Dutchy was having it rough. I mean, he was probably really worried about Specs, and he probably wanted out very badly. But that just meant that it would happen in due time, and Race was a more fierce competitor anyway. We needed him out before it was too late to get him out.

            I voted to evict Race.

Skittery

            It was a heart-wrenching decision for me. Obviously Dutchy wanted out of the house. But I had my own interests to think about, and if Race went, so did my obsessive fangirl.

            But did it really matter that much? I mean, the fangirl I could deal with. And I'd never been in love, so I didn't have a clue as to what Dutchy was going through. Maybe it was worse than I thought.

            And maybe I should stop being a selfish bastard and stop thinking of myself exclusively for once. Was I really that selfish, that I would put Dutchy through another week of this to rid myself of my own problems?

            I voted to evict Dutchy.

Dutchy

            We sat nervously in the main room, waiting on Sarah to speak with the verdict. Even the guests had to be there for the eviction- after all, their necks were on the line, too. If I went, Penny went with me. If Race went, Grace went with him.

            "Hello house guests."

            "Hi Sarah."

            "Are you ready for the eviction?"

            We all nodded or spoke the affirmative. I was so ready that I was on the edge of my seat.

            "By a vote of three to one…Dutchy, you are evicted from the big brother house."

            I jumped up and started giving my last goodbyes- and a thank you to each house guest. They understood. They really did.

            "You behave with your boyfriend, okay?" Race said, and I nodded, a bright smile on my face.

            And then I walked out of the big brother house, Penny at my side. The crew quickly escorted her to where she would meet her family, and I was taken to Sarah's studio, where the cameras were still running live.

            I entered the set and immediately looked around for Specs, but he was nowhere to be seen. And all through my interview with Sarah, I began to get worried.

            Maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe the fact that I threw the competitions made him think of me as a coward or a quitter or something. Maybe he changed his mind, or maybe his family talked him out of it. But can you be talked out of love?

            My heart leaped when the door opened, but it was my mother. She sat down beside me and hugged me, going on and on about how proud she was of me and how much she'd missed me.

            "Dutchy…I have a present for you." She said, and I wondered what kind of stupid gift she could've come up with. Then, she jerked her head toward the door.

            I turned and looked, and standing by the door was the love of my life.

            "SPECS!!!"

            I literally leapt out of my seat and into his arms, kissing him fiercely. I obviously took him by surprise because he fell over backwards and slammed up against the door. I deepened the kiss with a growl, savoring the feelings and tastes that I had missed so much as I pulled him as close as he could possibly get.

            "Um, boys…BOYS!!!"

            I broke the kiss as Sarah's voice finally cut through the haze, leaving both of us gasping for air. I guess I stunned Specs…I had never been that forceful, and I had even surprised myself with my own aggressiveness.

            "_Sit down!_" Sarah hissed, her evil side finally showing through at having the attention taken off herself. I guess we really irked her with my little outburst. But what did she expect; for me to turn around and say, 'Oh, hi Specs…what brings you here?'?

            We sat down and Sarah straightened her dress before continuing. I shot a look at my mother- I had conveniently forgotten that she was there- and she was blushing a very deep shade of red. But at least she didn't seem upset- just embarrassed.

            "So…what are your plans? I mean, Specs probably can't live with you for very long." Sarah asked. I grinned as I annoyed Sarah even more.

            "I certainly don't see why not." I said as I squeezed Specs' leg and made him jump about a foot in the air. My mother gave me a disapproving look as Sarah fumed and Specs blushed.

            After only a few seconds, Sarah threw her hands up in the air. "That's it! I'm done with you! Go…_go screw each other or something, just get out of my studio!_"  

            My mother's mouth dropped open, and she stomped out of the room at a much faster pace than Specs and I. We were used to Sarah's temper and threats by now, and on the way out, I hit her damaged pride one more time.

            On the way out, I let Specs walk out the door first, and then I promptly slapped him on the ass, shooting a smile and a wink at Sarah as he once again jumped in surprise. She groaned and rolled her eyes, and I shut the door, ready to go home.

AN: Review! I'll luv you forever if you review! Well, unless it's a flame…then I'll just cry…anyways…

Wow…Specs got a whole lot of attention in that last scene without saying a single word! Better than I could do…

And Dutchy's being a little tease. I like my new flirty Tease!Dutchy muse. And Specs probably just _loves_ him… 


	36. Anything For A Klondike Bar

AN: Alright…now that all the teasing is over…time for just some randomness. And also a HUGE surprise from our little Mushy-boy…

Added after finishing: This chapter ended up being HILARIOUS when I meant for it to be serious! ACK! But that's okay…lots of funny lines in here.

Blink

            "So…it's just five of us now."

            "Yeah."

            "That means…"

            "Yeah."

            We both looked up, and for once, Mush wasn't smiling. I didn't even have to finish my sentence. He knew what I was going to say.

            One of us would be leaving. Most likely in the next couple of weeks. The other guys seemed to have taken it upon themselves to break up the couples, with Race leading the movement.

            Specs and Dutchy were both gone. Most likely, we would be next.

            "Blink…"

            I didn't let him finish. I kissed him hard, almost in desperation. I didn't want to have to hear him say it. That we would be split up, most likely soon. I just couldn't hear it, not yet, and especially not from him.

            I knew he wanted to talk about it. He tried to pull out of the kiss but I pulled him right back into it, and he eventually just gave in, letting me lay him back on the couch. It made me wonder if I really _was _getting used to the cameras.

            After a few more moments we broke apart, and I gazed down at him silently. And then, his eyes widened in a panic, and I suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of my head.

            "Get off of him!"

            I rolled off Mush as pain continued to shoot down my spine, falling to the floor on my back with a yelp of pain as I hit my shoulder on the coffee table. And what happened next made me think that I was unconscious and just dreaming.

            Mush leapt up from the couch and threw a wild punch at Toby, hitting him right in the jaw and sending him flying into the table. Toby tried to get up, but Mush's onslaught didn't end there. He went after Toby again, straddling him and punching him over and over until Race finally rushed in and pulled him off him.

            Mush was screaming obscenities the whole time he was being dragged out, and Race returned just a moment later with Austin and helped Toby into the bathroom. I felt hands at my shoulders, pushing me up, and as I sat up and leaned against the couch I realized that it was Ace.

            "You okay, man?" he asked, and I nodded, groaning at the dull pain that clouded my thoughts. I tried to stand up, but he pushed me back down. "Just relax, dude. Mush will come to you. You don't need to be up and walkin' quite yet."

            I nodded again and let my head fall back against the couch, looking around to try and figure out what I'd been hit with. I didn't have to look far; a beam of wood from the desk Toby had splintered the other day was lying nearby on the floor. I only had to be glad he didn't use the sharp, pointed end- that would've been a whole lot more painful. And a whole lot more bloody.

            "Is Mush okay?" I asked. I knew he was, but I just had to hear it. 

            "_Is Mush okay_? Dude, what planet were you on? He kicked some serious ass, man!"

            "Okay, okay…" I muttered, his loud voice only multiplying the pain in my head.

            "Blink!"

            Ace got up and scrambled away, and Mush was immediately at my side. "Are you alright? Where does it hurt?" he asked, practically in a panic.

            "I'm fine, just a headache, that's all. I'm okay."

            He didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?" 

            "I'm sure…really. I just…I need to lie down. And I need some strong drugs."

            Ace grinned. "I'll get the drugs! I'm good at that!" he said, skipping to the kitchen.

            Yes. Skipping. Kind of scary, really.

            Mush helped me to my feet, and we slowly made our way to the bedroom, where I laid down on my bed and hoped to die. Actually, I was more hoping that Toby would die, after the beating he'd gotten.

            After Ace skipped into the room and gave me my aspirin, the pain was beginning to get a whole lot worse. That's the way it always was…the pain got worse before it got better.

            "Geez…where's Specs when you need him?" I muttered, and Mush laughed.

            "We probably don't want to know."

            I started laughing, but it hurt too much, and the laughter was quickly cut short.

            "Mush…you didn't have to do that. You could've gotten hurt." I said, and he gave me that lopsided smile that I loved so much.

            "But he did hurt _you_. And no one hurts you and walks away from it."

            "I didn't know you could fight like that."

            "I didn't either. Now shut up and relax."

            "That's gonna be kind of hard, consid-"

            I was suddenly cut off by his lips pressed against mine, and I melted into the gentle touch, forgetting about the pain.

            All of a sudden, it wasn't so hard to relax.

Race  
  


            "Toby, Toby, Toby…why'd you have to go and pull a stunt like that?" I asked as I tried to clean up his split lip while keeping his nosebleed under control.

            "They were practically screwing each other out there!" he insisted, and I just about choked.

            "If you only have to lie on top of someone to screw them, then I'd have lost my virginity 50 times over." I muttered, ignoring the death glare that I got from that remark.

            "That's my little brother, man. He's not a fag."

            "So you're saying Blink's a girl? Wow…I think I would've noticed something like that, but I might be wrong…"

            "You know what I mean."

            "Actually, no, I don't." I said, and then I stepped back and crossed my arms. "I don't understand how you could be so thick-headed. Your brother's _gay_. Get over it. Your brother is in love with _a guy_. Get over it. Your brother has been kissing and/or making out with said guy for weeks upon end now. _Get over it_. Are you getting my drift?" 

            He didn't answer. He only looked down at the floor.

            "You'd better be hearing me, and hearing me loud and clear, buddy. If you hadn't noticed, there's a cause and effect going on here. You mess with the gays here, you're messin' with Skittery. You mess with Mush, you're messin' with Blink. You mess with Blink…well, I don't even have to say it. You got that message just a few minutes ago, right?"

            Once again, no answer. 

            "I'll make a deal with you. The next time you pull a stunt like this, I'm going to make sure no one pulls your attacker off you. Whether it's Mush or Skittery, I'm gonna let them do as they see fit."

            With that, I walked out. Austin was standing outside the door, his eyes wide. He'd heard the whole thing.

            "Yeah, that goes for you too, you damn homophobe." I snapped, and then I stalked to the kitchen, where Skittery was cooking lunch. "Why do people have to be so damn closed-minded?" I asked him, leaning up against the counter and eyeing the knife in his hands.

            "I wouldn't know. When I find someone who's closed minded, I open their mind for them. And I don't mean that metaphorically." He said with a shrug, and I laughed. I think that was the first time we'd actually said two sentences without tension.

            Reno poked her head out of her bedroom. "What's going on out there? I'm trying to meditate and nap here. Can't have dark circles, you know." She said, her face covered in this green, pasty goo.

            Skittery didn't look up from his work as he answered. "Rabid penguins are attacking North America, demanding that the President give them an infinite supply of Klondike Bars so they can lure people into being their slaves, cause everyone knows anyone would do anything for a Klondike Bar." He rattled off, and Reno groaned and slammed her door as my mouth dropped open.

            "I think you just said more in that one sentence than everything you've said put together in your entire stay in this house." I said.

            "Hey…anything for a Klondike Bar, man."

AN: Yeah, that chappy was just for kicks. Cameos by Skipping!Ace and KlondikeBarPenguinObsessed!Skittery. Also ViolentAsHell!Mush and ThreateningHomophobeHater!Race. Hehe…I really am evil…

Next chapter, head of household competition and nominations…


	37. A Rifle and Blink's Worst Nightmare

AN: An 'inside their thoughts' chapter, and probably the last one, considering the fact that there's only five of them left. *tear*. Yeah…only five. We're getting down to the line, people. Also, head of household competition.

Spot

            I had to get head of household. It all came down to that. If I didn't, I was as good as gone, especially if Mush or Blink ended up getting that power. 

            We needed to evict Mush and Blink. We needed to get rid of the well liked guys, because if you came down to the final two and were paired up with someone like Mush, you could basically kiss that $25,000 dollars goodbye. I'm sure Race and Skittery would agree with me on that…well, maybe not Skittery. I'm never sure about what he thinks.

            Hopefully Blink would go first, just because I can't stand Reno. I swear, she should've been a prostitute instead of an actress- I think if any of us were willing, even those cameras wouldn't stop her from having us on our backs in a few seconds. No personal vendettas against Blink…he just happened to have the most annoying guest attached to him. Homophobes I could deal with. Flamers I could deal with. It's those self centered addicted-to-sex bitches that I had trouble with. 

            Strategy? Get rid of that last couple. Then I was home free.

Blink

            The finish line was almost in view. What was really funny was that I had forgotten about it for a while.

            I had come into this game thinking that I would be the most competitive and the least personal. I figured that since all my competitors were guys, I wouldn't have any trouble staying objective. I had also come into this game straight as a ruler.

            Yeah. Now I was still straight as a ruler…a ruler made of jello. Blame Mush, not me. I didn't plan on falling in love.

            Another thing I hadn't considered for a while was my dad. I never knew my dad that well…he was one of those single dads who didn't have a clue how to raise a child, so I figured I was on my own. We never discussed any issues as controversial as homosexuality- the majority of our conversation was based around the breakfast table before I went to work or my tutor came. You know…pass the corn flakes, Dad.

            Here I go, getting off the subject again. My strategy for the rest of the game? Survive. No, wait…that was wrong. That was a lie. My main strategy for the rest of the game? For real?

            Help _Mush_ survive. With Toby around, no matter how many punches he threw, he was going to need all the help he could get.

Race

            They'd all lost it. Mush and Blink were in love, and that stabbed any remaining logic multiple times. Spot had fallen silent in the past few weeks, which made me think he'd lost it as well. And Skittery was talking about penguins…the President…and Klondike Bars.

            Yep. They'd all lost it.

            My strategy? Get rid of the lovebirds first. That way I could stop worrying about them getting to the final two, and I'd no longer have to worry about Toby murdering them in the night. I was confident that I could beat Skittery or Spot in the finals, but Mush and Blink were another story. _Everyone_ loved those two idiots.

            And if I was right, Skittery and Spot would agree with me. Unless they'd gone _completely_ insane…

Mush

            It was finally sinking in. Blink or me would probably be the next to go, and that meant separation. Even when Specs left and Dutchy was crying and sulking for days on end, it didn't hit me fully. Now, at the thought of walking out of this house without his hand in mine…it was almost a dizzying proposition. 

            So, we need a strategy. And I guess the first step in that strategy is to win head of household. And I'm glad he already knows that, because every time I try to talk about what could happen in the house, he's too much in denial to have a civilized conversation. Instead, we usually end up with our tongues down each other's throat.

            Not that I'm complaining or anything. It's actually a very nice feeling. _Very_ nice…okay! Okay…I'm shutting up. Really. My mom is probably dead by now, having heard that much. And seen it too, if she's been watching. 

Skittery

            I'm not really sure who I'm going to side with from here on out. I can completely see Spot's and Race's logic in wanting Blink and Mush out of the house. But then I have to question what their motives are. Race would probably gamble away his winnings, and Spot's family is already filthy rich, so he'd probably spend it on stuff he really didn't need. But I guess it really wasn't any of my business how they spent their money.

            I've just kind of been in a haze the past week. The game hasn't been clear, the people haven't been clear, hell, my own thoughts weren't even clear. It was just kind of…weird. 

            Maybe it's finally sinking in that I don't have anywhere to go once I leave here. After spilling all that information to Mush…I only wondered if they aired that part. I couldn't take the risk of going back home now, because if they did air it, I was as good as dead when I got home. My dad would kill me, seriously.

            So, strategy? Honest to God, I don't know. I don't have a clue. I guess after this week things should clear up a bit, and I should be able to figure it out. But I really don't think I'm going to win, and when I leave, I'm homeless.

Spot

            We were sitting in the backyard, waiting for the head of household competition to start. There was a rifle set up and a target across the yard from it, so I had pretty much figured out what we were doing. But with big brother, you could never be sure. And that target was a very long way from where the gun was sitting.

            And Sarah was late. That really worried me.

            "Hello house guests."

            Oh my fucking God. That was not Sarah. That was a guy. But the voice was strangely familiar…

            "If you hadn't figured it out, this is not Sarah. Sarah has refused to continue dealing with impossible people like you. This is your new host…Davey."

            Blink paled by about ten shades as he realized that this wasn't a joke- that really was Davey.

            We were all dead.

            "The head of household competition is exactly like it looks. You get one shot. Closest to the center of the target wins head of household." He continued, pretending like this wasn't an earth shattering event. Which it was, I swear it was!

            "Spot, you're first." Davey said after a pause. I stepped up and stared at the gun and bullets blankly. 

            "Um…it's not loaded?" I asked quietly. What, did they actually expect me to know how to load a gun? That wasn't in the handbook for this thing…

            Mush suddenly stepped forward, grabbed the gun, did a few things, snapped the bullets in, and in less than a few seconds, the gun was ready to go. We all stared at him as he sat back down, and he looked around with the usual wide eyed innocence.

            "What?" he asked after a moment, and we snapped out of it.

            "Nothing, Mush." I started, turning back to the gun and lowering my voice to a mumble. "Yeah, he _seems_ all sweet until you put a rifle in his hands…"  

            "What was that?"

            "Nothing, Mush! Let me shoot the damn thing and shut up!"

            I pulled the trigger and nothing happened, and Mush burst out into laughter and took the gun from me once again. He cocked the gun, and then flipped off the safety and handed it back to me, shaking his head.

            I brought it up to my shoulder and aimed, but when I fired, the thing threw me to the concrete on my ass and the shot went up. It hit the top edge of the target, and I knew I would lose this competition.

            "Race, you're next." Davey said, and Race stepped forward. He managed to get the gun all ready without help, and he managed a nice shot, closer than mine but still nowhere near the center.

            Blink went, and he was also thrown to his butt from the kick on the rifle. His shot ended up just outside of Race's. 

            Skittery was next. He cocked the gun, flipped off the safety, aimed, and fired all in about three seconds, and his shot was only a few inches from the center.

            Then Mush stepped up. He readied the gun and brought it up to his shoulder, his eyes locking on the target, and then he fired.

            Dead center. With only a moment's preparation, he was dead center. 

            That kid may seem sweet, but I would swear that he was a mercenary in his former life.

**Nominations**

Blink 

            Once again, I was reminded not to piss off my boyfriend. He later explained to us that hunting was a favorite pastime of his family, but that didn't make me any less baffled on how innocent he seemed even with a fully loaded rifle in his hands and the full intent to use it.

            "Everyone ready for nominations?" Mush asked. There were only two keys in the box this week. Only two people who would be safe. At least I knew I would be one of them. And sure enough, he pulled out the first key and handed it right to me.

            "And the second key…Skittery, you're safe." He looked up, and I could see that Race and Spot didn't look surprised in the least. "I just went with my instincts, guys. You've made it obvious that you're targeting Blink and I…I just wanted to make sure I protected myself. Protected _us_."

            With that, the meeting was over. And I was on to thinking about all the forms in which I could murder Davey after all this was over. It was just creepy…because the audience only saw what the producers wanted them to see, but as far as I knew, Davey could be watching at anytime he felt like it. Ugh.

            The cameras were suddenly bothering me a hell of a lot more than usual…

AN: Oh, poor Blink…now that Davey's the host, he'll never escape. And if you're wondering what happened to Sarah…hehe. Use your imagination for now. I'm not telling quite yet. Next chapter, veto competition, veto meeting, votes, eviction, I think. And let me tell you right now…the head of household competition may have been simple, but the veto competition will cause rifts in the house that can't be repaired…let's just say the morals of the boys are going to be seriously tested… 


	38. Bets and Idiot Proof Promises

AN: It's been a really weird day here…but that's okay. Really. When you're doing the play "The Crucible", everything makes you shiver. And it makes your throat sore from all the screaming. Anyway…

This is a big chapter as far as the situation in the house goes. Pivotal. And it will probably be hard for me to write (partly because I didn't sleep last night), so bear with me here…*Yawn*

Skittery

            We had been ordered by Davey to all go to separate rooms in the house. I was now sitting against the counter in the kitchen, waiting to be given further instructions.

            "House guests…you are going to be called one at a time into the diary room for the veto competition. Skittery, you're first."

            I slowly got up and walked to the diary room, almost reluctant to go. For one, I just didn't like Davey's unnaturally high pitched voice. For another, I didn't feel all that good. Kinda dizzy. Definitely not like competing.

            I sat down in the diary room and faced the camera.

            "Hello Skittery. It's been a while." Davey said.

            "Yeah. Cut to the chase, Davey." I muttered, propping my elbows on my knees and rubbing my temples.

            "Are you okay?"

            "I'm fine. What's the competition?"

            "It's not a competition. It's a deal."

            That got my attention. I looked up, waiting on him to continue.

            "You can have the power of veto…if you agree to putting everyone in the house except yourself on PB+J for a month."

            Aw, hell no. 

            "No way. You've gotta be insane." I muttered, and Davey paused a moment.

            "Well…what if I lowered the time to two weeks?"

            Two weeks. It may not sound like a long time, but on PB+J, it would be an eternity with these guys.

            "Don't think so. I decline."

            Another pause.

            "Big Brother's final offer. One week of PB+J for everyone else, and you've got the veto."

            It would've been a hell of a lot more tempting if I didn't agree with the nominations that were standing. But I, as much as anyone, wanted those guys to go. However…if I took the veto, I could guarantee that it wouldn't be used and I wouldn't be put up. Maybe…

            "Tempting, Davey…very tempting. But…no. My first answer stands." I said, shaking my head. 

            "Alright. Your funeral, Skitts. Go back to the kitchen and wait for my word. And don't say a single word about this to the other house guests."

            I got up and went back to the kitchen, wondering just how badly I'd just messed up my chances of surviving the week.

Mush

            "Mush, come to the diary room." 

            I got up from the floor in the bedroom and went to the diary room, closing both doors behind me. I sat down and Davey's cheerful voice broke the silence.

            "Hey, Mush. Congrats on your fine catch."

            "My what?"

            "Your boyfriend."

            "Oh…that. Yeah…thanks."

             I wished he would stop talking about my love life and just get to the point. I just wanted to get this done and get out of here.

            "Big Brother wants to offer you a deal. You can have the power of veto…if everyone in the house except for you goes on PB+J for a month."

            "Oh, god, man…haven't you _seen_ these guys on PB+J?!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air.

            "I'll take that as a 'no'. But…what if we lowered it to two weeks?"

            "Still no. Blink acts like Satan on Earth when he has to eat that stuff."

            A pause. At first I wondered if Davey was going to yell at me for insulting his crush…but I had the right to insult him. I was his boyfriend, after all.

            "One last offer, Mushy boy."

            "Don't call me Mushy boy."

            "I'm the host. I'll call you whatever I want, my little TV bitch. Now shut up and listen to the offer."

            Oh my God…I wanted to shoot him. If only I had a gun, I would shoot him right now. Right here, right now. Or…I'd shoot in his general direction. Cause I didn't know where he was.

            "One week put everyone else on PB+J, and you've got the veto."

            Now that was a little more feasible. I could guarantee my safety and Blink's safety…but only for one week. I'd only increase the target on our backs if I did this, cause we were all sick of PB+J by now.

            "No thanks."

            "Alright. Return to your spot and wait for my word. And don't say a single word to the other house guests about your decision…not even your gorgeous boy-toy."

            Yep. I was going to kill him.

Blink

            "Blink, to the diary room."

            The moment I'd been dreading was finally here- a one on one with Davey. I trudged to the diary room, taking my time about it. I was not looking forward to this.

            "Hello, Blink."

            "Hi Davey."

            "Still attached to that bitchy farm boy?"

            "He's not bitchy. You're bitchy. And yes, still attached. Don't get your hopes up."

            "Okay, okay. Official business now. Big Brother has a deal for you. You can have the power of veto…if everyone else in the house goes on PB+J for a month."

            Out of the question. That wasn't even an option. "No way."

            "Alright…what if we lowered the time to two weeks?"

            That was a bit better…I would be able to save Mush if I took the deal, and myself, at least for this week. But after that…oh man, the guys would be so pissed at me.

            "No thanks, Davey."

            "Okay, final offer. One week."

            One week on PB+J for the other guys for the power of veto. It really seemed like a good offer- a great offer. It would definitely be a strategic move for a week like this…but…

            "No."

            "Are you sure?"

            "I'm sure."

            "Okay…go on back and wait for my word. Oh, and Blink?"

            I sighed. "Yeah Davey?"

            "Check on Skittery. He doesn't seem to be feeling so good, but you know him. He wouldn't talk to me."

            "And you expect him to talk to _me_?"

            "I was gonna ask Mush, but he's already pissed as hell at me."

            I raised an eyebrow. "And why is he pissed as hell at you?"

            "Go to your spot, Blink. And don't say a single word to the other guys about what happened in here."

Spot

            "Spot, come to the diary room."

            Finally, the waiting was over. It was my turn. And I was ready. I sat down and flashed a smile at the camera, not letting my weariness shine through.

            "Hey Spot."

            "Hi Davey. How have you been?"

            "Not bad. Listen…Big Brother is going to offer you a deal."

            "I'm listening."

            "You can have the power of veto…if you agree to sentence every house guest except for yourself to a strict diet of PB+J for a month."

            The veto…the guys on PB+J for a month…no contest.

            "I'm not going for it."

            "Okay…two weeks. Just two weeks of PB+J for everyone else, and you're basically off the block."

            Hey…that was better. That was much better. I could deal with those guys bitching for two weeks. Or at least I thought I could.

            "I'll take that offer, Davey."

            "Okay, Spot. Go to your…um…spot…and don't say a word about your decision in here."

Race

            I had to get off the block. I had to. No question.

            "Racetrack, come to the diary room."

            And now was my chance to do just that. 

            I went to the diary room and sat down, eager to hear what I had to do.

            "Hi Race."

            "Hey Davey. What's the competition?"

            "No competition. A deal."

            Okay. A deal I could contend with. I was good at dealing.

            "Big Brother will give you the power of veto…if you agree to subject everyone except yourself in the house to a diet of PB+J for a month."

            "Done."

            A pause.

            "Race…a month is a long time…you're going to rub a lot of people the wrong way…"

            "Shit if I care. Lock them in a cage for a month for all I care. I said I accept."

            "Okay. Go back to your spot and wait for my word. And don't say a single thing to the other house guests…they'll find out soon enough."

Mush

            "All house guests go to the sitting room. And do not speak to anyone else."

            I met the other guys in the main room, sitting beside Blink and lacing my fingers through his. He suddenly took me by surprise by grabbing my chin and kissing me just on impulse, and I realized that Davey must have really ticked him off. He needed a nice kiss.

            Besides, kissing didn't count as speaking.

            "Alright, boys. At least one of your fellow house guests accepted the offer." Davey said, and I rolled my eyes. Of course. I should've expected one of the other guys to be a moron.

            "Everyone except for Racetrack will be on PB+J for a month now. Race, you have the power of veto."

            "_Holy shit_…" Skittery snapped, standing up and walking out. Just like that. He went to the backyard and slammed the door, and we realized that Davey was done talking with us. That was that.

            "What did Davey say to you?" Blink asked.

            "Don't we have worse things to worry about?"

            "What did he say to you?"

            I sighed, and then I told him the whole thing. Even the part where I insulted him (which he laughed about), and then the little comment that Davey mentioned about me being his 'little TV bitch'. I begged Blink not to do anything about it, even telling him that I just didn't care, but he was mad as hell, just the same. 

            He looked up at the camera, his jaw set. "Davey…when I get out of here…_you're as_ _good as dead_."

            With that, he turned around, dipped me over backwards, and kissed me. I swear, he kisses me about fifty times a day, if not more.

            Not that I'm complaining…as usual…

Race

            For once I didn't care that Skittery was mad at me. I was safe for another week. Deciding who to put up…that was a whole different ball park. But I made my decision, and now it was time for the veto to be used.

            "Okay guys…time for the veto meeting."

            I looked around the circle, seeing that no one was really very happy. I guess that was because they had all been on PB+J while I had been eating whatever I wanted.

            Hey, I didn't have any regrets.

            "I have chosen to use the power of veto. And in my place…I'm putting up Blink."

            It was done. Now all I had to do was sit back and watch Kid get evicted. I knew it would happen.

Blink

            "Blink…"

            I turned around to see Mush standing in the doorway, his usual smile not there. And I knew why. 

            I was leaving. I knew that as well as he did.

            I motioned for him to come to me, and I pulled him into a tight hug, running my fingers through his feather-soft hair. We stayed there for a while, just content to hold each other in the face of what was happening.

            "You've gotta keep fighting for me. No matter what happens." I whispered, and he nodded.

            "Do you think…I mean, there might be a chance…" he stuttered, grabbing at straws in a hopeless effort to make the situation seem less dire. But with my only votes being Race, Skittery, and Mush…hope was out of the question. Mush was outnumbered.

            "There's always a chance, Mush."

            I didn't want to make him feel worse, though. He smiled, looking into my eyes. _God…he has beautiful eyes_, I thought, my breath catching in my throat.

            "I'm taking you up in the Cessna when we're both out." He said, referring to his 'baby' back home. Sometimes I thought he loved that plane even more than he loved me, even though that may have seemed ridiculous.

            "You know I don't like planes, Mush."

            "You'll love her though. Flies like a dream, really."

            "It's still a plane."

            "It's a _special_ plane, you dork."

            I laughed. "Okay…I'll make you a bet."

            He grinned and I laughed again, not able to help it. I was betting him on an idiot proof basis.

            "If I don't get kicked out this week…I mean, if Spot gets kicked out instead of me…then I'll step into that God forsaken plane and let you take me for a spin." I offered, and he smiled even wider and stuck his hand out.

            "You're on."

            I grabbed his hand and pulled him to me, kissing him and then pulling away and licking my lips.

            "Mmm…peanut butter and jelly."

            He laughed again, music to my ears. "Yeah, well, get used to it."

            "I think I could manage that." I whispered, pulling him into another sweet kiss.

**The Votes**

Mush

            I hated Race. I hated him so much that I could taste it. Well…when Blink's tongue wasn't in my mouth I could taste it, anyway. 

            Yeah. Enough of that. Sorry mom, I know you didn't want to hear that.

            A month on PB+J was bad enough…now Race goes nominating _my_ Blink? What was he thinking?

            I voted to evict Spot.

Race

            I was about to break an alliance that everyone else had let slip. Once Blink was gone, Mush's spirit would be broken. Then Spot or I would win the next head of household, put up Skittery and Mush, and we'd evict Mush. Then I'd get rid of Spot, because I could definitely beat Skittery in the finals. I mean, who would choose him over me?

            I voted to evict Blink.

Skittery

            Breaking up the alliance of the couples. That had been the unspoken plan all along. And it was logical- get rid of Blink, and Mush would no longer be a threat. Perfectly logical.

            But if Race ever comes after me, I could claim temporary insanity from lack of normal food. Race obviously doesn't know that when you lack real food, the common sense section of your brain goes into hibernation.

            So, just to spite the little fucker, I chose to evict Spot.

**The Eviction**

Skittery

            It had to be the tensest situation in the house since Specs was evicted. Mush and Blink were sitting without a millimeter of space between them, Mush leaning his head on Kid's shoulder and Kid's hand on Mush's leg. It was an almost cute scene if you didn't know the background to it- why they felt the need to be so close now. In five minutes, they may be separated for quite a while.

            Even the guests were feeling the strain. Reno had basically condemned herself in her own mind, inspecting her fake nails as she muttered about Blink not being able to handle anything right. Austin looked pretty confident, while Toby was shooting glances at Mush and Blink with absolute contempt.

            "Hello, house guests."

            Blink cringed at the sound of Davey's voice. I smirked knowingly- I was the only one here who knew what was about to happen.

            Mush would've voted to Spot to leave. Race would've voted for Blink to leave.

            And I was the deciding vote.

            This was…oh so sweet. I would get to see Race cringe once again, and this time I would be ready to throw him that trademark smirk that said, 'I got you, you bastard'.

            "Are you all ready to hear the eviction results?" Davey asked, and we all nodded.

            "By a vote of 2 to 1…Spot, you are evicted from the Big Brother house."

            Complete shocked silence. Race's jaw was practically at the floor. Then, when he had gathered his wits, he ever so slowly turned his gaze to me.

            "You…you…"

            I smirked. "What's the matter, Race…_had a taste of your own medicine_?"

            His mouth curled into a sneer, and he shook his head. "You're dead. You're dead, man."

            "I've heard that so many times, it has no effect, Race. Nice try."

            With that, Spot said his goodbyes, and he and Austin left the Big Brother house.

            Mush turned to Blink, who I was surprised to see had a pretty terrified look on his face. But what Mush said next made it all clear.

            "Looks like you're taking that plane ride after all, Kid."

AN: I told you I would be breaking some hearts here. But someone had to go. And things are only going to go downhill from here…but I'll keep it lighthearted. This was a very depressing chapter, wasn't it? I'm sorry…and I'm sorry to all you Spot fans, but when it's his time, it's his time!

Also, at the end of the fic, we're going to have two special chapters. The first will be a reunion one year after the last episode in the house to find out what happened to all the guys after they left. The second I will call 'Outtakes'- things that happened in the house that the cameras caught but we didn't get to see. That way the whole fic will end on a happy note. My point in telling you this is for you guys to give your opinion. From here till the end, if you think of anything funny that could've happened from the first day to the last, send it to my e-mail! (NOT in the reviews…we don't want to spoil it for everyone, do we?) This gives you guys the freedom to think of ANYTHING hilarious that could've happened! Come on, this is your FREEDOM time! Send me anything- absolutely anything- that you've thought about! Make me hit the floor laughing, people, cause the other readers will do the same thing and I want as many scenes as I can get!


	39. Does She Look Green To You?

AN: Sorry, missed another day. Computer problems. Anyways, I'm thankful for you guys…I thought I'd have Spot fans mauling me left and right about that, but you guys were surprisingly good-tempered about it. Wahoo! Okay…time for head of household competition and nominations.

Race

            "Hello, boys. The power is up for grabs."

            For the first time, the head of household competition was indoors. I was sitting on a chair with two small boards on either side of me so I could only see the other guys sitting in the line with me from the head up, and I was holding a ping pong paddle that said "A" on one side and "B" on the other. I had the feeling I knew what we were going to do, but I couldn't be sure.

            Davey continued with the explanation. "I am going to give you an unfinished quote from one of the evicted house guests, and then I will give you two different endings. You must pick the ending that you thought the guest would have said, and you will get one point for each correct answer. There will be ten questions, and the house guest with the most points at the end of ten questions will be the new head of household."

            I looked carefully at my competition- I couldn't be sure who would win. I was assuming they would take these quotes from their diary room entries, which none of us had heard. It would be interesting, to say the least.

            "In his first diary room entry, Snitch referred to someone as smelling good. Who was that someone? A…Mush, or B…Spot?"

            Why in the hell was that kid thinking about how someone _smelled? Was he gay too?_

            Probably Mush. I lifted my answer thingy to show the side that said 'A'. Now I knew why those dividing boards were there- I couldn't see how any of the other guys answered.

            "The correct answer was 'A'. Mush, you got it wrong. Skittery, Blink, Race…you all three have one point each. Next question. Bumlets said "I swear, this house is full of…". Was it A, idiots and preps? Or B, gay people who don't know they're gay?"

            Wow. I couldn't picture Bumlets saying either of those things. But if he said one of them, I would guess B.

            "The correct answer is B. Skittery, you got it wrong. That leaves Mush and Skittery with 1, and Blink and Race tied for the lead with 2. Next question…whom did Cowboy refer to as being 'as blocked off as Skittery'? A, Bumlets…or B, Snitch?"

            B. Definitely. I noticed the same thing about Snitch. That's why I helped get him evicted.

            "The correct answer is B. You all got it right. Skittery and Mush, you have 2, Blink and Race, you have 3. Next question…which houseguest referred to feeling like a cat in a cage with a starving Doberman while he was in the house? A, Spot, or B, Itey?"

            Itey didn't have the brains to say that. The kid probably didn't even know what a Doberman was. But then again, I couldn't see Spot making a comment like that. I chose B.

            "The correct answer was A. Blink, Race, you both got it wrong. That evens up the score all around, leaving everyone with 3 points. Next question…what was Dutchy referring to when he mentioned that he'd probably never see his eighteenth birthday? A, the infamous truth and dare kiss? Or B, Skittery not being evicted?"

            Well, the logical people would go for A. But from what I'd heard about Dutchy's mother, I really didn't think she would kill him for something like that. So I chose B.

            "The correct answer is B. Everyone got it wrong except for Race. That leaves Mush, Skittery, and Blink with three and Race with four. Next question…Dutchy said "I only wish that…"…A, these guys would ignore me altogether, or B, that he could go home? A hint…it was the first diary room entry for him."

            Okay, think. In the first week…well, there were a whole lot of us that were nervous, but I don't think we were nervous enough to be wanting to go home yet. But…he was a painter. What could you expect from the artistic type? I wouldn't know. I chose B.

            "The correct answer is A. Race and Skittery, you got it wrong. That leaves Skittery with three, Mush, Blink, and Race with four. Seventh question…who did I, Davey, describe as 'naturally nice'? A, Mush, or B, Bumlets?"

            Um…B. In the first week, Bumlets did seem nice, and Mush was the obvious answer here. I chose B.

            "The correct answer was B. Blink, you got it wrong. That leaves Blink and Skittery with four, and Race and Mush with five. Eighth question…which house guest mentioned wanting to duck in a closet and hide until he was evicted? A, Specs, or B, Itey?"

            Definitely Itey. I chose B.

            "The correct answer was B. You all got it right. Skittery and Blink, you have five, Race and Mush, you have six. Ninth question…which house guest did Dutchy refer to as the 'smartest guy on the planet' for his game strategy? A, Skittery, or B, Specs?"

            Well…Skittery had been beating people, jumping alliances, and scaring people all along. Specs had been basically a part of the woodwork until Dutchy came along. Who would he admire more? 

            Wait…that time when Skittery put Mush up against Cowboy…we all thought he was a genius then. Could this quote have been taken from then? I chose A.

            "The correct answer is A. Skittery, you got it wrong. That leaves Skittery with five, Blink with six, and Race and Mush tied for the lead with 7. Final question…which house guest said "A promise is a promise, and unlike some people, I don't break them." A, Specs, or B, Dutchy?"

            Well…either one of them could've said that. They were both that type. And whichever one it was, I was going to kill him when I got out for indirectly referring to me like that. Not that it wasn't true or anything…and he didn't mention any names…oh, well. I'd just guess. I chose B.

            "The correct answer is B. Blink and Skittery, you got it wrong. Racetrack, you are the new head of household."

Skittery

            Once again, I was sitting beside Grace on the couch, pretending to listen to her go on and on about some third cousin's roommates brother's former girlfriend that met Tom Cruise. At least, I think that's what it was. 

            Reno walked in and sat down with one of her fashion magazines, her face plastered with the green goo that she wore for an hour every single day. She looked like the swamp monster with fake eyelashes. 

            And quite suddenly, I got an idea. I got a very mean, very awful idea. 

            For once, I was glad Grace was head over heels for me. Because I would need her help for this.

            "Hey Grace…let's go outside. Get some fresh air." 

            Grace looked up at me in shock. I think that was the most I'd ever said to her. She jumped up and grabbed my arm, and I was yanked out of the house by the bounding, hyper girl.

            I explained my plan, and she was ecstatic. She promised to do exactly as I had asked, and then I went to the kitchen, where Ace was sitting nursing a cup of strong coffee. I explained to him as well, and we set to work preparing what we would need.

            About an hour later Grace brought us what we needed, and we 'doctored it up' a little. Grace then returned the object she'd brought us to its place, and now all we had to do was wait. 

Blink

            I think anyone within a 500 mile radius of the Big Brother house heard the scream.

            We all went rushing to Reno's room that she shared with Grace, expecting to find blood all over and maybe a dead body or two from the way she was screaming. Race and I slammed into each other, but quickly recovered when Reno scrambled into view.

            Her entire face was bright green. As in bright, neon green. And it wasn't the green goo this time.

            "_Who is responsible for this?" she shrieked, and I suddenly took notice of Skittery, who was leaning in the doorway to the kitchen snickering like a maniac. I looked from him, to Reno, and back to him._

            "What did you do, Skittery?" I asked, more out of amusement than anger. In fact, it was all amusement. Reno was the only one angry here.

            "Just added a little green food coloring to her face mask. I thought it would help even out her skin tone." Skittery said, and Reno absolutely quivered with rage.

            "_How long…will this…last?" she hissed._

            "About…three days. The stain may last longer though. Maybe a week."

            Reno suddenly took off at Skittery, and we let her go, seeing as how Skittery could sure handle himself. And in fact, when she jumped at him, he sidestepped out of the doorway and she ended up slipping and falling flat on her face in the kitchen. Skittery laughed again as she picked herself up, and then he headed for the backyard, shaking his head as he cracked up again. Reno, being the 'helpless female type' she is, promptly burst into tears.

            Mush looked at me, and I shrugged. I wasn't about to go comfort her; her idea of comfort was quite more intimate than I would want. Mush rolled his eyes and went to her, sitting down beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

            "Come on, now…what's more embarrassing…having America see you with a green face, or having America see you sitting here crying like a baby?"

            She looked up at him, her anger only multiplied by his comments. She stood up and fumed for a few moments before heading back for her room.

            "You're ALL dead! I'm going to have my lawyers suck you dry! ALL OF YOU!"

            _Slam!_

Toby sauntered in, looking around the now-quiet area. "What just happened?"

            "Reno got a face-lift, that's all." Mush said with a knowing smile. Toby looked at me, then at Mush, and then back at me.

            "You two…need therapy. At least _try_ to behave."

            With that, he walked out. Mush and I looked at each other, both of us in shock at what we had just experienced.

            Toby just spoke with us without insulting us. He didn't even glare. He was somewhat…civil.

            With a yelp of joy I grabbed Mush and literally picked him up off the floor and spun him around. How, I really don't know. I've never been able to do that before without pulling all the muscles in my back.

            "I think it's gonna work. I think it's finally gonna work." He said, and I nodded. He and I had been right from the start.

            Race may have head of household, but things were still working out for us even better than we'd planned.

Race

            "Look at them."

            I turned, surprised to see Toby standing beside me, his arms crossed and an unreadable look on his face as he looked through the window. I followed his gaze in time to see Blink pick Mush up off the floor and spin him around, setting him down gentle as a feather. They chatted a bit, their eyes never leaving one another's.

            "If I didn't know better, I'd think they were in love." I said in a joking tone as I turned once again to watch the sun drop behind the fence. Toby remained silent for a few more moments, and then he heaved a heavy sigh and sat down. I followed his lead, sitting down on the patio beside him.

            "I just…the pastor always said that queers were demons, sent straight from hell to corrupt the weak. But…" he started, weakening in mid-sentence.

            I finished for him. "But Mush isn't a demon. And he's definitely not weak."

            "Yeah. Yeah."

            He sighed again. "Wonder what it feels like."

            "What?"

            "To actually be in love."

            I raised an eyebrow. "So you believe it's love now?"

            He cringed. "Well…Mush was deeper than any of us in that religion stuff. He was the pastor's favorite student, the guy that every other person wanted to be just like."

            "Including you?"

            "Yeah…I guess. I never thought he'd ever fall for sin. I always thought that Satan himself could throw _anything_ at that kid, and he'd throw it right back." 

            I nodded. "But love conquers all, Toby. That's the old saying, anyway."

            He swallowed hard. I could tell he was having trouble with this idea, but it wasn't as hard to accept as it had been before. I decided to take it one step further.

            "Maybe you should…you know…sit down and talk with them. Get to know Blink. He's not that bad of a guy, you know."

            I expected him to throw a temper tantrum, maybe throw a punch or two. But instead, he slowly nodded.

            "I'll do that sometime. That kid is stubborn as an ox. If I can't change his mind, I may as well get to know my future brother-in-law…cause Mush ain't gonna be able to handle mom and dad all by himself, even with Blink there to back him up."

**Nominations**

Mush

            Race brought out the nominations box, with only one key inside this time. Only one safe person.

            I didn't know. I knew Race wanted either Blink or me out of the house, but after what Skittery did to him, I wasn't sure he would follow through on that. Maybe he would go for Skittery…but I doubted it.

            "Alright, guys…one key this time. Four of us left. I'm safe, and there's only one other safe person."

            He reached down and pulled the key out. "Skittery…you're safe."

            He took a deep breath as Skittery took his key and put it around his neck. Then, he spoke again.

            "Skitts…after what you did, I would've given anything to see you walk out that door. But that's personal, not strategy. And by strategy…I'm obliged to break up this final alliance. You three know that as well as I do. And now that we're this close, it's no holds barred. It's every man for himself. And I'm holding to those nominations."

            With that he took the nomination box back to its place and Skittery went to hang up his key, leaving Blink and I alone in the room.

            "Mush…if you get veto…promise me you'll save yourself and not me." Blink suddenly said, and I looked at him in shock.

            "Only if you do the same."

            "No. Not this time."

            I gave him a smug smile. "I'm not seeing how this is fair to you."

            "It's not supposed to be fair to me. No matter what happens, I want to see you go to the finals. Not me."

            "But…why?"

            He laughed quietly, grabbing my hand with both of his. "You deserve it. You need it. And I love you."

            I hesitated, and then kissed him gently. "We'll see. I'm not making any promises though."

            "I'll throw you in the pool again if you don't promise."

            "You've done that a million times already. That one doesn't work anymore."

            "Then I'll lock you in a room alone with Reno."

            I looked up at him in shock. "You wouldn't…"

            "Promise me and I won't."

            I shoved him and punched him in the arm. "I hate you."

            "No you don't."

            "Yes I do."

            "Promise me?"

            "Fine."

            He stared at me a moment, and I refused to look at him.

            "You love me. You know it." He said with a smile.

            I looked at him, and then grabbed his chin and pulled him into a kiss.

            "Who wouldn't?"

AN: Next chapter, veto competition, veto meeting, votes, and eviction. Sorry I'm not all that talkative…I haven't felt good all day. So…review. It makes me feel better!

Also…I have gotten a total of two replies on the outtakes. (Thank you to those who actually replied!). Now, I CAN come up with them on my own, but I really want your help- it would end up a whole lot funnier! And two replies…I'm sorry, two scenes ain't gonna cut it. Send them in, people! Please? My PuppyDogEyes!Mush is begging you! Pretty please? Okay, enough begging. If I don't get more replies, I'm going to team up my ViolentAsHell!Mush and my Psychopath!Skittery and send them to hunt you down and make sure you never get to eat another Klondike Bar in your life! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay. Point being, send me scenes!

I'll end on a good note: I luv all you guys! Really, I do! And so do all my crazy muses…I think…


	40. Why Must I Be A Teenager In Love?

AN: Wow. The 40th chapter. That's…uber cool. Okay, anyways…veto competition, veto meeting, votes eviction…the whole works in this chapter. We get down to the final three in this chapter. Whoa. The final three…oh, I've been drinking frappuccinos…I think I've downed about five…so don't mind the author notes. They're coffee induced.

And sorry about missing two days…that's like the ultimate sin to me. My dad just got back from surgery, so thinks have been busy around here.

Mush

            It's a weird habit of mine; I have to brush my teeth before every competition. Maybe it's remembering the food competition and the stuff I had to eat then, I don't know exactly what. All I know is that my fellow house mates think it's hilarious.

            Blink was brushing his hair, Ace was applying his make up, Skittery was in the shower, and Race was standing in the doorway waiting on us and conversing with us as we waited for word from Davey to go out into the backyard. The girls were probably discussing fashion magazines or something; who knew with them? And I didn't even bother thinking about where Toby could be.

            "Good luck tonight." Ace said, painting on the black eyeliner with expertise.

            "Yeah. We're gonna need it." Blink said, tightening his eye patch. I heard the water turn off and Skittery stepped out of the shower with only a towel around his waist, and Ace immediately raised his eyebrows.

            "Hey there sexy." He said, and then catcalled him.

            "Get a life, Ace." Skittery mumbled, walking past him towards the door. Then Ace pulled a stunt I thought was a whole lot worse than what Reno had done.

            He reached out and yanked Skittery's towel off of him. With a camera recording every move, luckily not live.

            As we were laughing hysterically Skittery grabbed his towel, muttered a few choice curse words and was out of the room as fast as he could, pulling the towel back around his waist as he shoved Race out of the doorway and out of his way. We couldn't stop laughing even as Davey told us it was time for the veto competition- that had been absolutely priceless. If only it had been live- then there would've been a few lawsuits about not censoring what happened. 

            Skittery was blushing deeply as he met us outside for the competition, and I couldn't imagine what he was going to do to Ace when he got the chance. I hoped Ace was inside writing up his last will and testament.  

            In the backyard a huge checkers board was set up, with oversized pieces on it. Davey quickly explained that Blink and I would compete first, and the winner would compete against Skittery for veto.

            And this was one veto I had to win. I wasn't about to let Blink sentence himself to failure for me.

Because if he got the veto, he would take me off and Race would be forced to put up Skittery, and then who knows what would happen? I didn't want to leave it to chance.

So Blink and I got started. And I, having only played checkers twice, lost the game in about five minutes.

Figures. I was always better at Euchre anyway.

Blink and Skittery started their game, and they seemed pretty evenly matched. After ten minutes, they were both down to three pieces. But then Skittery made a suicidal move- one that looked as if it could've been made on purpose- and Blink took him out.

I practically dragged Blink inside. I pulled him past Toby, who looked pretty stunned to see me dragging Blink around the house by the front of his shirt, and then I shoved him into the bedroom and slammed the door behind us.

"Should I be scared or excited? You know, there are cameras in here." He said, a broad grin on his face as he pointed up at the 'eye in the sky'. Or…'eye on the ceiling', anyway.

"Save yourself."

"What is this, a sinking ship?"

"Basically." I stepped closer to him, grabbing his hands in mine. "One of us is going this week. I don't want it to be you."

He smiled again. "What happened to all that optimism? There's always a chance."

"Not this time. You know that. Even if you did use the veto, Race wouldn't vote for you to stay, but I would. That would be a tie. And you know who gets the final vote on the tiebreaker."

"The host."

"Davey. And he's not going to vote for you. He hates you for turning him down."

"Very true."

"So? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to use the veto to save you."

I groaned and shoved him. "Did you listen to a single word of what I just said?"

He grinned again. "Nope."

"_Why the hell not?!"_

"Cause…I was too busy thinking…about just how handsome you are."

I rolled my eyes. "I should hate you."

"But you don't."

"We've had this conversation before, haven't we?"

"What? The 'I love you even though it makes absolutely no sense' conversation?"

"Yeah. That one."

He pulled me close and kissed me, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I hate you. You and your stupid charisma."

"Yeah…love you too, country boy."

Race

            For the rest of my life, I will be proud to say that I was there.

            Where, you ask?

            Well…veto competition had just gotten over, and I was sitting on the couch beside Ace, and we were having a completely normal conversation about a dirt bike in a magazine that I had brought. Competely normal. After a few minutes, Toby came in and leaned on the back of the couch, looking over our shoulders at the article.

            "Hey Toby, what's up?" Ace said, finally noticing that he was there. Toby just shrugged, looking very bored and very tired. Ace smiled. "Still bummed out about Mush and Blink, aren't you?"

            "A little bit." Toby said indifferently. 

            "I can tell you exactly why Mush ended up like this." Ace said, sounding completely nonchalant. Toby raised an eyebrow.

            "Really?"

            "Yeah, dude. I'm a flamer, remember? I know these things. Want me to tell you?"

            Toby couldn't abate his curiosity, evidently, even though it probably wasn't a good idea to listen to Ace on this subject. "Sure."

            Ace looked at me, and then said. "I'll have to whisper it. I don't wanna tell Race too. He doesn't need to know." He said, and I just shrugged. Ace jumped over the back of the couch, and then stood next to Toby, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

            At the last second though, he grabbed Toby's chin and turned his head, and then kissed him right on the lips.

            It was just a second or two, and then Ace skipped off into the kitchen humming 'Jingle Bell Rock', leaving Toby standing completely stunned and frozen in the middle of the room. I think my jaw was on the floor by then. 

            Then Toby realized what had just happened.

            "Ace! _I'm gonna kill you! Get back here, you…you…lipstick wearing freak_!" He screamed, heading for the door.

            "Hey Toby…speaking of lipstick, you're wearing some now." I said, and Toby wiped his mouth on his sleeve before storming out of the room, yelling threats and curses.

            And I turned back to my magazine, of course, now with the song 'Jingle Bell Rock' stuck in my head. 

Skittery

            It was time for the veto meeting. Blink was standing there, ready to make his announcement even though we already knew what he was going to do. Like anybody wouldn't?

            "Okay guys…time to use or not use the veto." Blink said, and I tapped my foot impatiently. Why didn't he just get on with it?

            "I chose to use the veto. On Mush."

            There it was. Race stood up, taking my key and putting it in the nomination bag.

            "That means you're automatically nominated, Skittery."

            I nodded. 

            Hey, I'd gotten to the final four. Wasn't that enough?

**The Votes**

Mush

            He shouldn't have done it. I told him not to do it, but does he listen to me? Of course not. I mean, what would I know, after all? I'm just the country boy. 

            No, I'm not really mad at him. I don't think I could ever be mad at him. He was just too dang cute. It's just that sometimes, I'd like to gag him. Really. Cause he can say and do the stupidest things.

            Needless to say, I voted to evict Skittery.

Race

            I really did hate Skittery. That was just about the last straw, pulling that stunt with Spot. But I had to keep him in. Because when it came right down to it, I needed to be up against him in the finals. America liked him a whole lot less than me, or so I hoped.

            I voted to evict Blink. The two lovebirds had to be broken up eventually.

**The Eviction**

Blink

            Reno had been complaining the whole day. She somehow didn't seem to understand why I had given up $25,000 dollars for my 'farm boy'. 'Love' to her was one sweaty night of screwing, and then it was over.

            Geez…love has lost its meaning these days. Because with most people, when they say 'I love you', they don't truly mean it. I'm happy to say I always do when I'm looking at Mush.

            "Hello, house guests."

            "Hi Davey."

            "The results are in. Are you ready for the eviction?"

            Mush grabbed my hand, and I smiled at him even though I really didn't feel like smiling. I just didn't want to make this any worse for him.

            "We have a tie. And as your host, I am obliged to make the deciding vote. So, with no further ado…Blink, you are evicted from the Big Brother house."

            I stood up and shared handshakes with the other guys, hearing the door slam as Reno left without even saying goodbye. I didn't care. As soon as Race, Skittery, Grace, Toby, and Ace had said their goodbyes, they left the room. And I turned around to see that Mush was crying silently.

            "Aw, Mush…don't cry for me…" I said, pulling him close. He shook with silent sobs as I held him, and I felt close to crying too. I didn't want to leave him. 

            "You're gonna win this…for me." I said, lifting his chin so he would look right at me. "Right?"

            He nodded. "Right." He paused, taking a deep breath as I wiped the tears off his face with my thumb. "Blink…"

            "Don't start saying goodbye. I'll see you in two weeks, remember?"

            "Two weeks is too long."

            "Two _minutes is too long. But that's beside the point."_

            "You boys have thirty seconds." Davey suddenly said, and my mind was in a rush. There were so many things I wanted to say, and only thirty seconds to say them. 

            And so I didn't _say_ anything. I did something that I told Mush I would never do as long as those cameras were there. I started singing to him, albeit softly.

            "_One day I feel so happy…next day I feel so sad…I guess I'll learn to take the good with the bad…each night I ask the stars up above…why must I be a teenager in love?"_

            He cut off my last note, kissing me and laughing at the same time. I smiled and picked up my bag, walking to the door and opening it.

            "Wait! I'm an actor! I have to make a grand exit!" I suddenly yelled, and by then most of the guys had been watching from the kitchen anyway. I dropped my bag and grabbed Mush, dipping him dramatically and giving him a very deep, very sensuous kiss. As he stood stunned, I grabbed onto my bag and said, "Behave yourself, my sexy country boy." 

            I then winked at him and walked out of the Big Brother house. But just a few moments after I closed the door, I heard Mush yell something at his house mates.

            "What are you laughin' at?! Why were you even _watching_?!"

AN: Yay! Chapter 40 done, with lots of funniness! Like Ace kissing Toby and then skipping away humming Jingle Bell Rock! Wahoo!

Yeah, Blink got evicted. But I couldn't see him leaving all sad and stuff. He's an actor. He has flare.

I still don't have enough outtakes. Thanks to all the people who sent them, but there's just not enough people doing so. What, are you afraid you're not funny enough or something? Send something stupid, I don't care! Just send _something_!

And review. Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaasssssseeee?

Geez, I'm begging a whole lot tonight. Don't make me beg. It's not fun.


	41. Innocent As A Baby Deer

AN: Sorry, missed a whole bunch of days again. We're having auditions for the Fall Play here, and the guy running it is really…compulsive…so the auditions are about three and a half hours long three days in a row. It's crazy, dude. Anyway…Here's chapter 41…head of household competition! It's the last one, and the winner is guaranteed a spot in the final two!

Oh, and I'm stealing another game from Big Brother…strictly cause I don't feel good, haven't felt good, and I thought it looked fun…

Also in this chapter…the final eviction. Yes, people, it's almost over. Three more chapters after this- the final episode, the epilogue, and the outtakes, and it's over. *tear*

Racetrack

            It was like the first obstacle course all over again, only longer. They had lily pads floating in the pool, and just beyond that were posts with bungee cords pulled and twisted between them. After that came the all familiar barbed wire- only the ground under it was muddy and slick. Then a long pipe just big enough to fit through, and after that, two large gates that had handles on the bottom to lift. And at the end was the button to stop the timer.

            But there had to be a catch. There was always a catch.

            "Hello, houseguests."

            All three of us mumbled hello to Davey, all of us busy concentrating on the course in front of us.

            "I'm sure you all can figure out that the course in front of you is the head of household competition. However, consider it your 'escape from Alcatraz'. Because you are going to have a ball and chain snapped on one leg."

            So that was the catch. It was almost as bad as being handcuffed to someone else.

            "And remember," Davey continued, "If you win this competition, you are not only guaranteed a spot in the final two, but you also decide who is evicted. You decide who you go up against for the $25,000. Skitts, you're first."

            Yeah, like we needed to be reminded. I was perfectly aware of the fact that $25,000 rode on this. 

            I shot a look at Mush as Skittery got ready to go, and I sighed again. I thought for sure that with Blink gone, that kid would be lost. But that smile was still on his face, just as much the cheerful, naïve country boy as he had ever been.

            Skittery snapped on the ball and chain, and the time started. It had to be a whole lot harder than it looked, because that ball seemed to weigh an awful lot. Skittery finished with a time of one minute and fifty eight seconds, and it quickly got to my turn.

            I snapped on the ball and chain, and it ended up being even worse than I thought. It dragged on the ground, practically tearing up a layer of grass with it. I heard the buzzer that signaled the start of time, and I plunged into the pool.

            If that pool had been any deeper, the ball would've dragged me to the bottom and drowned me. As it was, the water was freezing, and I could barely get the stupid thing to move.

            I pulled myself out of the pool and lifted the stupid weight into my hands, working my way clumsily through the bungee cords. Then came the mud. Now, believe me, I'm all for getting down and dirty once in a while…but that was a bit much. Especially with the added obstacle of the weight.

            I got to the pipe and slid in, pushing my way through and getting to the security gates in what felt like pretty good time. But I knew I was close.

            I was right. I finished with 1 minute and 42 seconds. Better than Skittery…but was it good enough?

            I knew what I would do if I won. Mush had to go. Then that $25,000 was basically mine.

Mush

            I knew that if I lost, I was out of the game. With Race in the lead, I wouldn't have a chance. And so far, I wasn't doing good at all.

            I had gotten hung up on the bungee cords, and I knew I was behind. There was no question. Maybe I should just give it up to Race now; I would get to see Blink sooner that way.

            Blink. He was probably watching right now, on the edge of his seat. God, I missed him so much…but I had to think of him, too. 

            And he wouldn't want me to give up. Not now, not when I was so close. I remembered what he told me to do seconds before he walked out that door.

_            You're gonna win this. For me._

And I was.

            With a burst of energy I pushed myself to the last ounce of my strength, leaping forward and sliding all the way under the barbed wire. I was back on my feet in less than a second, my brain no longer in control as I worked to catch up. I executed the same maneuver at the pipe, jumping in and sliding through in one move. 

            By the time I got through the gates and slammed my hand down on the button, I no longer cared about my time. I was so exhausted that I didn't even take the time to get the chain off my foot before I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

            "Mush…congratulations. You are the new head of household."

            That was all I needed to hear.

            I could just see Blink falling off his chair in relief right now…

Skittery

            No alliances would do us any good now. We could offer Mush all the deals in the world and it wouldn't get us anywhere at all. All Race and I could do was wait.

            I had the feeling that I was leaving. Mush had a better chance of winning against Race, though Race would deny it until his dying day. He thinks he's God's greatest gift to this green earth. Sure, he can be a pretty nice guy at times, but he's just plain egotistical.

            "Hey Skitts."

            I looked over the top of my magazine and saw Ace standing there, a huge grin on his face.

            "What did you do this time?"

            "Nothing."

            "Why do I doubt that?"

            "Beats me."

            He sat down on the couch beside me- no, practically fell on the couch, and I just sighed as he bounced up and down compulsively, unable to sit still.

            "Coffee again?" I asked.

            "Maybe. Want some?"

            "No thanks."

            "Aw, come on. You want some. I'll go get it."

            With that he leaped off the couch and ran for the kitchen, leaving me alone in the room again, hearing faint conversation from Toby's room- Grace had caught him unprepared. At least she wasn't bugging me.

            I suddenly heard the sound of breaking glass from the kitchen, a sound that was actually pretty familiar for me. I threw my magazine on the table and walked calmly to the kitchen, where Mush and Ace were laughing hysterically over a broken glass on the floor.

            "…I don't see anything the least bit funny about this." I said, giving them a few seconds to recover.

            "It was…his fault!" Ace gasped, pointed at Mush. Mush gave him that wide-eyed innocent-as-a-baby-deer look, and Ace started laughing all over again.

            "I'm not even going to ask…" I muttered, turning around and walking back out.

**The Final Eviction**

Race

            It was time for the final eviction. Whoever Mush decided to evict right now would be the last to leave, and the two remaining would stay for one more week before the others came back to vote for one or the other. 

            I hated the fact that I had no clue who Mush would pick. I never knew with that kid. Blink leaving hadn't really changed him a bit.

            "Hi guys. It's come to that time." Mush said. I looked around the small circle of people, noting Skittery's indifference and Ace's normal stupid smile. Sometimes I couldn't stand that kid.

            Mush took a deep breath, taking out the 'box of safety', which once again had only one key in it. The other person would be leaving.

            "It's my responsibility, in this position, to pick the person who I'm going to go up against in the finals. This decision has to be both personal and for the game in order to be made correctly." Mush said. "I believe I made the right decision."

            He reached down, slowly pulling the key out of the box, and I held my breath.

            "The last person evicted from the house will be…Racetrack."

            I nodded, biting my lip and looking down at the floor.

            But, hey…I'd done my best. I couldn't do more than my best.

            Maybe it wouldn't be so bad…walking out of the Big Brother house.

AN: Next chapter is the big one, people. All the house guests will come back to the house to vote for either Mush or Skittery to win the $25,000 dollars.

I still don't have enough outtakes. But I'm not gonna complain any further right now, cause I figure you guys are getting sick of it by now. Hey, if you feel the need, send them. I'd love it if you did.

You know what's really creepy? I have a really bad headache, and I just looked out my window, and the moon is like…blood red. No kidding. So I'm officially creeped out right now, and I'm going to have my Ace!Muse skip off to the kitchen and get me some drugs. While humming Jingle Bell Rock. And wish me luck on the auditions- I'm gonna need it, cause this director plays favorites and I'm not one of his favorites!

Oh, and I came up with a wonderful description of Mush in this chapter. Innocent-as-a-baby-deer. I love that. *Sighs dreamily* 


	42. We'll Make It Through

AN: This is it- the final chapter. Well, excluding epilogue and outtakes. Over a month's work, I don't even want to think about how many words written, and it all comes down to this. Let's get this party started.  
  
Blink  
  
I walked into the holding room, where all the other evicted house guests were waiting. Specs and Dutchy, sitting almost close enough to be on top of one another, Snitch just relaxing on his own, Cowboy and Race chatting about some sports team, Itey and Spot talking, and Bumlets just reading a book.  
  
"Hey Blink!" Dutchy said. He gestured to the open seat beside him, and I sat down.  
  
"How've you guys been?" I asked them, and their smiles grew even wider. "Nevermind.I don't want to know." I quickly added. They both burst out laughing, and then Davey's voice broke the silence.  
  
"Hello, boys. One at a time, you will be called to give your vote, starting with Cowboy."  
  
It was time. I was that much closer to seeing Mush, and I felt like I couldn't wait another second.  
  
The Final Votes  
  
Cowboy  
  
It had been quite a while since I left the house, but every memory was fresh in my mind, just as if I'd stepped out the door yesterday. And I remembered every single event that led up to my undoing in the house.  
  
And I especially remembered being set up.  
  
I voted for Mush to win.  
  
Davey  
  
Really, Mush was a sweet guy. A wonderful, good looking guy. However, he was the boyfriend of a guy who I'd hoped to have for my own. I guess it's a little prejudice, but I tend to hold grudges anyway.  
  
I voted for Skittery to win.  
  
Blink  
  
Honestly, did they have to have my word to know what I was going to vote? Sure, Skittery was a nice enough guy, maybe a bit on the wrong side of the tracks, but I certainly wasn't going to vote for him over my boyfriend.  
  
Yep.I voted for Mush to win.  
  
Snitch  
  
This game wasn't just about who was nicest, or who helped you out when you were down. This game was about strategy. This game was about serious, competitive guts. This game was about who really put everything into it- and I mean everything, not just what it would take to save their boyfriend.  
  
I could only think of one of the two options that had even come close to my opinion of a winner.  
  
I voted for Skittery to win.  
  
Specs  
  
Dutchy and I had spent hours upon hours talking this over, and we had finally come to a decision. We discussed who had played the game, and we'd decided to go with the person who hadn't lied or broken an alliance the entire time he'd been in the house, and stayed in almost everyone's good graces.  
  
I voted for Mush to win.  
  
Dutchy  
  
I respected Mush beyond belief. Any other guy like him would've cracked under this much pressure, God knows I almost did. But he stayed strong, and when he really needed to, he pulled for himself and his boyfriend. That's more than anyone else in this house could claim.  
  
I voted for Mush to win.  
  
Bumlets  
  
If it weren't for Mush, I would probably still be in the house. Yeah, it was an indirect assumption, but for some reason, it just tugged at me. I, for once, was going to let emotion run this decision.  
  
I voted for Skittery to win.  
  
Spot  
  
I felt cheated. Race should've been kicked out, not me. But I guess that's just the way it worked.  
  
So now I had to decide who to vote for. Well, Skittery had been the deciding vote that sent me out of the house. That should be enough to make me hate him in itself. I didn't really hate him for it, but still.  
  
I voted for Mush to win.  
  
Itey  
  
I wasn't really sure who deserved to win- both boys up for the money had played the game, and played it well. That had to be obvious if they got this far. We'd all been through a lot in that house, and I couldn't imagine staying as long as they did. So I just decided to go with the guy who seemed to have made it this far against everyone's expectations, considering he didn't have to be aggressive at all to do so.  
  
I voted for Mush to win.  
  
Racetrack  
  
Skittery had been a burden to me from the very beginning. He made it through a perfect eviction set-up, he practically pounded my brains in, and then he voted completely opposite of logic and understanding just to spite me.  
  
And for that.I respect him. Beyond belief, right?  
  
I voted for Skittery to win.  
  
The Final Meeting  
  
Mush  
  
I was wringing my hands, sitting on the sofa in the main room and waiting for the door to open. I shot a look at Skittery, who didn't seem nervous or worried at all. That guy was a brick wall- nothing showed on the outside.  
  
I suddenly heard the click of the door, and I stood up as the guys walked in. I wasn't surprised to see Specs and Dutchy walking together, holding hands and looking happy as ever. I shook hands with each guy as he walked in, and soon they'd all come in.but Blink wasn't there.  
  
I stood a moment and stared out the door, but no sign of him. And then I stepped into the doorway.  
  
Big mistake.  
  
He pounced on me, knocking me to my back on the floor and practically knocking the air out of me again. I yanked him down into a soft, gentle kiss, figuring that oxygen wasn't all that important.  
  
"Alright, cut it out. Come on." Davey's voice said, and reluctantly, I shoved him off me and he helped me up. He shook Skittery's hand, and Skittery suddenly looked very disappointed.  
  
"What.no kiss for me?"  
  
That got a laugh from us, to be certain. Blink just shook his head and sat down next to me, grabbing onto my hand and holding it tight.  
  
"How'd things go with your dad?" I whispered.  
  
"Just fine. He's okay with it.he's just gotta get used to it." He said before Davey began, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"The votes are in. Let's begin the tallying. The first vote.was for Mush."  
  
That was one. I needed six, and that was one.  
  
"The second vote was for Skittery."  
  
One to one.  
  
"The third vote was for Mush."  
  
Two to one.  
  
"The fourth vote was for Skittery."  
  
Two to two.  
  
"The fifth vote was for Mush."  
  
Three to two.  
  
"The sixth vote was for Mush."  
  
Four to two.  
  
"The seventh vote was for Skittery."  
  
Four to three, three votes to go.  
  
"The eighth vote was for Mush."  
  
Five to three.  
  
"The ninth vote was for Skittery."  
  
Five to four, one more vote to go. If it wasn't for me, it would be a tie, and then they'd probably go back to Sarah for the deciding vote.  
  
Blink's hand tightened on mine, and I held my breath as Davey continued.  
  
"And the final vote.was for Mush. Mush, you have won the $25,000."  
  
Blink pulled me into a kiss immediately, even though I still hadn't gotten any air from holding my breath. I gasped for air as he pulled away, accepting handshakes and hugs from the other guys.  
  
And as the 'party' continued, I just kept looking over at my boyfriend, wondering when God decided to give me the privilege to have him at my side through all this. And even though the hardest part of this was probably ahead of us and not behind us, we'd make it through.  
  
We'd make it through.  
  
AN: That's it! WAHOO!!! Ah, shit.I'm not done yet.the next chapter is the epilogue, where the houseguests meet a year after this day and we find out where they've been, what's happened to them, all the publicity.it'll be interesting, to say the least. And you guys still have a whole couple of days to send me outtakes while I finish the epilogue! Please do...I'd really appreciate it. Now I feel bad for Skittery.oh well.hope the last two chapters make up for it. 


	43. Epilogue

AN: I know, I know. HUGE gap between last chapter and epilogue…but there's a reason. I wanted a kind of "time lapse"- you know, let everything sink in and kind of get stale so it won't seem like they're doing this the next day.

Also, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO SEND IN OUTTAKES. I seriously need them, people. Really. I hate begging and being pushy, but I've only gotten about four replies and I really don't think I have the comedic ability to create all the others all by myself. *sheepishly kicks dirt around* So PLEASE send me outtakes. Please.

I was thinking about having the boys watch the outtakes, and having you hear their comments about them. What do you think? You like it? Good. Tee-hee.

Okay, enough babbling. On with the story. And have fun, Lute, if you're reading this (I'm sorry, I don't know who's reading and who isn't, so this applies to all Snitch lovers!),…because we have Soldier!Snitch in this chapter! Yummy…if there's anything I love most in life, it's a man in uniform, so newsies in uniform…yum…

Racetrack

            I was the last to arrive, mainly because I had accidentally slept in. I pulled off my sunglasses as I once again stepped through the doors of the Big Brother house. 

            "Hey Race!"

            I looked up and came face to face with Jack, who pulled me into a firm bear-hug and then pushed me forward to the main room. "Come on, you bum. We're all waiting on you."

            I said my hellos to all the other guys, and I took a seat between Specs and Jack. Not surprisingly, Specs and Dutchy were sitting practically on top of each other and holding hands, and Blink had his arm around Mush's shoulders, who in turn had his hand on Blink's leg. Both couples, still together. And as my eyes drifted to Snitch, I realized that he was in full military uniform. He'd actually joined the Marines.

            Davey stood up, clapping his hands together. "All right…I'm the master of ceremonies today, so let's get started." He said.

            "What about Sarah?" Snitch suddenly asked, and Davey shrugged.

            "She's still in the high security mental institution. She's already had seven therapists quit on her, and she put three of them in the mental institutions themselves."

            Complete silence. Then, we all burst out laughing.

            "Guys…GUYS!" Davey yelled, finally gaining control of us once again. "We are going to start with Jack, and we'll go around and each person will tell us what he's been up to since leaving the house, including any publicity that is interesting enough to talk about."

            Davey sat down, and Jack leaned forward, thinking a moment.

            "Well, I graduated…and I'm going into a plan with a couple other guys to start a restaurant in Santa Fe. A barbecue and grill place. And I'm dating the girl who ran my fan club while I was in the house. Um…is that enough?"

            "You're _dating_ you're fan club leader?" Spot asked incredulously.

            Jack smiled. "Yeah. And she's a real looker, man."

            Davey cleared his throat. "Itey, you're next."

            Itey had changed a whole lot. He no longer looked like the innocent, scared boy who had hid in the closet during the lightening storm; he was taller, more muscular, toned and athletic looking. In summary, he'd basically had a growth spurt over the year.

            "Well, I'm a senior now. I've gotten athletic scholarship offers from a whole bunch of colleges for soccer, and I'm usually a goalie for the varsity team at my school."

            "Still single?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

            Itey blushed and dropped his gaze to the floor. "Yeah. The publicity's been great, though. I mean, I had a girlfriend for a while, but…it just didn't work out."

            Davey turned his attention from Itey to Snitch, his eyes drifting over him a bit too long for comfort. "Snitch?"

            "As you guys can see, I've joined the Marines…and after spending that long in a house with you guys, basic training was a snap. I, uh…haven't had much contact with my fan base, but I have done interviews once or twice for websites. I'm going to go into the FBI after I finish my first four years in the service."

            Davey nodded, stuttering a bit before speaking. "You, uh…still single?"

            Snitch sighed. "Single and _straight,_ Davey…"

            Davey sighed even heavier and leaned back in his seat. "My turn. I'm in my senior year now, and I'm going to try and get into medical school. I'm still single…but I see that you're still taken, Blink…so I guess that's that. I have a fan club, though. Race, you're next."

            I looked up and quickly gathered my thoughts. "I'm a senior. I'm going to New York University next year to major in business financing and investment…well, Specs and Dutchy already know that, because I'm going to be sharing an apartment with them."

            Blink shot an amused look at Mush. "Are you sure that's such a good idea, Race? I mean, it could get pretty noisy at times…" he asked, and Mush elbowed him violently. He just smiled and shrugged as I rolled my eyes.

            "It's better than staying with two complete strangers."

            "Alright, Specs, it's your turn. And you and Dutchy may as well go together." Davey said.

            Specs looked at Dutchy and then began to speak. "We're both at New York University right now. I'm double majoring in law and criminal psychology, and I'm married."

            We all had to think twice about that one, and we were about to speak until Specs grabbed Dutchy's hand and lifted it. On each of their hands was a silver wedding band.

            "How'd you manage that?" Jack asked.

            Dutchy smiled. "On the way to New York we stopped off in Virginia. It's legal there."

            "So what are you majoring in, Dutchy?" Mush asked.

            "What else? Art."

            Davey pointed at Bumlets next. "Your turn."

            "I'm in my freshman year at UCLA, majoring in dance…my instructor said there's a possibility I could transfer to Julliard my third year. I've actually been in one of Blink's and Mush's movies, kind of a bit part…"

            Spot suddenly interrupted him. "Wait a second…Mush? In a movie?"

            Blink smiled and tightened his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. "Yeah. He's a hot commodity in Hollywood now. He's climbing the ladder fast."

            Bumlets cleared his throat noisily. "As I was saying…I'm planning on going to Broadway after college is all done. And I have the sweetest girlfriend in the whole world. She's a dancer too."

            Davey nodded. "Spot?"

            Spot was practically vibrating with energy, though I have no clue why. "I'm a senior. My dad wants me to go to Harvard or something like that, but what I really want to do is go into the Navy and go to WestPoint. Um…I've been talking a lot with Itey since the house, but I haven't talked a whole lot with my fans. Though I _do_ have a lot, mind you." 

            "Skittery, your turn." Davey said, and we all turned to face the boy who hadn't spoken a word yet. 

            "I…I moved to Indianapolis after the house…I got put in a foster family. I graduated and I'm a freshman at Indiana University. I've been majoring in telecommunications."

            "What about your fans?" Davey asked.

            Skittery smirked. "Turns out my biggest fan group was _at_ IU in the first place. Also turns out that particular fan group was an IU fraternity. So…I'm a member of that fraternity now."

            We all had to laugh at that. Somehow, it just seemed absolutely hilarious that Skittery was _living_ with one of his fan groups. It was also quite funny that his most loyal, dedicated fans were frat boys.

            Figures.

            Davey turned to the only people who hadn't yet spoken. "Mush, Blink…go ahead."

            Mush gestured for Blink to go ahead. "I've done two more movies since being in the house and a whole bunch of TV shows, and Mush and I just recently got an offer for an action and adventure shootout series on primetime. It's a CIA show, and we're going to be playing two undercover agents that have a kind of 'good cop, bad cop' thing going."

            He looked at Mush, and Mush took over quietly. "Yeah, uh…I've been doing a lot of modeling on the side…"

            "Modeling in only boxers sometimes, might I add." Blink added with a wink. 

            Mush elbowed him again and continued. "And I got my pilot's license, and I've been flying Blink around for shoots in his private jet. But I think the acting is pretty much going to pay the bills for now."

            "What about your family?" Dutchy asked, and Mush smiled.

            "My mom had my pastor waiting on me at home, but…" he fell at a loss for words, and Blink took over.

            "We basically told that white-collared stiff where he could stick his Bible, we packed Mush's stuff, and then we left. Haven't heard from them since. Well, except for Toby."

            Davey snickered. "Speaking of Toby, we're now going to find out where all of our esteemed guests are and how they're doing. Starting with Grace. Race, you know anything?"

            I shrugged. "No, but I'll bet Skittery does. I'll bet he knows what she's had for dinner every day in the past year."

            All eyes turned to Skittery, and he sighed. "That obsessed bitch has been sending me a letter every day since she left the house. And each letter is usually about fifteen pages long. I can only praise God she doesn't have my phone number."

            "What about Penny? Dutchy?"

            Dutchy shrugged. "No idea. I haven't talked to her since I left for college. But last I heard, her latest boyfriend turned gay on her and dumped her."

            "Boy, that girl sure can pick 'em, can't she?" Spot muttered, and we all laughed.  

            Davey turned to Spot. "And Austin?"

            "He's going to Harvard. But evidently he's been getting lots of hate mail from gay rights groups, so he's pretty miserable."

            That wasn't surprising. 

            "Blink, have you heard from Reno?" Davey asked.

            Blink's face broke out into a huge grin. "Well…since she left the house she's been arrested seven times for solicitation and possession of narcotics, and last I heard, her agent dropped her and she's been doing cheap porn."

            "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Dutchy said quietly.

            Davey shifted his gaze to Mush. "And what about Toby?"

            Mush was silent for a moment, a small, suspicious smile on his face.

            "Toby and Ace are living in Miami and going to the University of Miami. I think Ace is majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Toby is majoring in Orthopedics and Rehabilitation."

            I swear, that room stayed in a shocked silence for at least a full twenty seconds. Then Jack just exploded.

            "_Toby?_ And _Ace?!_" 

            Blink laughed. "Yeah. Evidentely Toby enjoyed that kiss a little more than he let on. Or…maybe it's just in the genes." He said, smiling at Mush with honest devotion.

            "I guess that tells us where Ace is, too. And now…we're going to watch some clips from our time in the house." Davey said, and I felt my excitement growing.

            I mean, who knew what happened in this house when my back was turned?

AN: The setup for the outtakes! Oh, speaking of outtakes…

**_I NEED OUTTAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

Okay. Does that make it clear enough? Hope so. You are welcome to send me outtakes up until you see the chapter posted, because I can always go back and add something right before I post it. In fact, I won't be starting the writing of the chapter until tomorrow (9-19), so send them!

I loved Blink's lines in this chapter. First, "We told that white collared stiff where he could stick his Bible." And then, "You're staying with Specs and Dutchy? Don't you think that would get a bit noisy?"

Tee hee. I'm evil, putting dirty boy-on-boy thoughts into your heads…


	44. Outtakes THE END!

AN: This is it…the last chapter. This one is just for laughs, so sit back and make sure you're over carpet…because you're gonna be falling out of your chair on this final chapter!

Thank you to anyone and everyone who sent me outtakes! I'm not going to name you all personally…because I was really dumb and I rewrote the outtakes as they came and deleted the e-mails as they came…so I don't have a record of who all sent them. Yes, that was really dumb, I know. Thank you, you're all lifesavers!

I take that back. I will thank one person personally. An uber amount of thank-yous and kisses from my Muses to Shadowlands, who sent me an insane amount of outtakes. And I mean….like…TONS of outtakes. I looked at THAT e-mail and I thought God had blessed me with an angel of outtakes. THANK YOU SHADOW, and enjoy my interpretations of your genius ideas!

Also, I'm not going to bother telling you when the outtakes take place. Hopefully I won't royally screw anything up. But that's okay, this is just for kicks anyway! 

Enough babbling. On with the comedic antics of our favorite boys!

Mush

            As the room went dark and the screen came on, I found myself feeling a bit nervous. I knew that there were things that happened in the house that were too embarrassing to revisit.

            And the first clip that came up was one of those times.

            I was sitting at the counter, and Skittery was the only other person in the kitchen, busying himself with making dinner. I remembered being bored to death that day- it would've been a miracle worthy of God's angels if an ant ran across the floor. 

            So of course, being the dumbass I was, I decided to entertain myself when Skittery had his back turned.

            I walked over to the cabinets and pulled out the first thing I came to- a can of carpet cleaner. I shot one glance at Skittery, who was busy with the salads and probably would be for another minute or so, and then I took the lid off the pot of water he was preparing to boil and sprayed a huge amount of the carpet cleansing foam in it. I then took my seat back at the counter, waiting for Skittery to decide to start boiling the water.

            Honestly, I didn't know what was going to happen. If I had known, I never would've touched that can in the first place.

            I buried my face in my hands and refused to look at the other guys as they watched the clip- because they certainly knew that carpet cleaner was extremely flammable. I heard Blink snickering uncontrollably, and I elbowed him again, but opened my eyes to watch.

            Skittery finally turned away from the salads and walked over to the stove, flipping the switch to turn it on. And about half a second later, there was the sound of rushing air and a fireball exploded from out of the pot.

            Watching it as certainly funnier than being there. Skittery was half-thrown and half-dived to the floor, and I fell backwards off of my stool and hit the carpet with a thud. 

The other guys burst out laughing, and Blink clapped me on the back so hard that I almost fell off the couch. I heard Skittery mutter something to the effect of, "That wasn't funny…" I felt like saying the same thing.

The clip continued, and though we couldn't see Skittery where he had fallen behind the counter, we certainly heard it when he yelled, "_What the **hell** was that_?!"

            I got up from the floor at the same time that Skittery did, looking like a deer in headlights. He looked in the pot- which the lid had been blown clean off of, and then his gaze turned to rest on me. And believe me, murder was in his eyes.

            I didn't even have a chance to move before he was around the counter, grabbed me by the shirt, and slammed me down on the counter.

            "What the _hell_ did you do?"

            "But…I…It was an accident! I…I didn't think it was _actually_ going to catch on _fire_!"

            That got a laugh from the guys as they watched, even Skittery. I was begging for my life, and I sounded pitiful doing it.

            Skittery held me on the counter for a moment, and then he groaned and threw me- yes, he _threw _me aside- and stalked out of the room. And that's where the clip ended.

            "Mush, what were you thinking?" Bumlets asked incredulously, and it seemed pretty obvious that everyone else wanted to know the same thing.

            "I was bored, and…and…"

            "And you wanted to blow Skittery's head off his body?" Jack added.

            "No! I didn't _know_ it was flammable!"

            Davey interrupted as everyone laughed at my ignorance. "Alright guys, next clip…"

Jack

            As the screen came back to life once again, I was confident that I hadn't done anything outtake-worthy while I was in the house.

            Boy, was I wrong. By a long shot.

            The camera came up on my bedroom, where the other guys were sleeping peacefully. I, on the other hand, was sitting on my bed, pulling on my socks and shoes and mumbling incoherently.

            I heard Blink mutter for me to shut up and go back to sleep, but obviously I didn't hear him. This was interesting to me too, because to tell you the truth, I didn't remember a single moment of this. That could only mean one thing.

            I'd been sleepwalking.

            I got up out of my bed and walked out of the room, wearing my pajamas, mismatched socks, my cowboy hat, and my shoes on the wrong feet. I stumbled to the doorway of another bedroom, quietly opening the door and making my way inside.

            I could feel a blush crawling up my cheeks as I stumbled over to Dutchy's bed and started roughly shaking him. He swatted me away a few times, but eventually my insistence won over.

            "What do you want, Jack? It's three in the morning!" Dutchy hissed, and I pulled on his arm.

            "Come on, Dutchy. Come with me." I said, my speech slurred and tone uneven. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Or…that I did it, anyway. 

            Dutchy protested, pulling his arm away from me, but I didn't give up. And what I did next shocked me to no end.

            I grabbed Dutchy by the waist and threw him over my shoulder, and amazingly, no one was awakened by his frantic insistence that I put him down, or his punches and kicks that he was not in a good position to throw. I carried him out of his room and through the house, only setting him down once we'd reached the backyard.

            "What do you _want,_ Jack?!" Dutchy said harshly, and I stumbled further toward the pool.

            "Toto…the tornado's coming!" I suddenly said, turning around to face Dutchy. He looked at me in utter confusion as I stumbled back to him. "Come on, Toto…let's go find Auntie Em…"

            I grabbed Dutchy again, this time pulling him up into my arms and carrying him against my chest, refusing to let go even as he kicked and struggled. And then, when I came to the edge of the pool, his eyes widened in horror.

            "Jack! DON'T!"

            I completely ignored him. "Come on, Toto…in the tornado! Find the ruby slippers and the witch!" I demanded, still sounding quite drunk even though I wasn't.

            And with a final shriek, Dutchy was dropped into the freezing cold pool.

            As Dutchy came back up and gasped for air as he shivered, I turned around and calmly walked back in the house, back to my bedroom, taking off my shoes, socks, and hat and going back to sleep. 

            As the clip ended, I felt all eyes drift and lock on me. I could tell I was blushing deeply.

            "Dutchy…why didn't you _tell_ me?" I asked, and Dutchy shrugged.

            "I just figured you wouldn't believe me anyway."

            Everyone was laughing too hard to speak by now. Spot was almost falling off the couch, he was laughing so hard.

            After we had calmed down a bit, Davey said it was time for the next clip. And boy, was I glad. Somehow, realizing that I'd kidnapped Dutchy and dumped him in the pool at three a.m. was a bit much for one day.

Racetrack

            I remembered the next clip. I remembered it quite well. Because it was one of the funniest things that happened in the house.

            I had been really sick of everyone in the house that day. Extremely sick of them. So I decided to play a prank on anyone who happened to fall victim to my fun little prank.

            So when the clip started, I was sitting on the roof just over the back door, a crate of water balloons beside me.

            The scenario couldn't have been more perfect. Just as I was about to give up on anyone coming outside, Dutchy and Specs stumbled out of the house, probably having had lots of coffee and unable to keep their hands off each other. I almost threw a balloon right away, but then I realized that they had stopped right in my target area. So I decided to wait and see if an opportunity presented itself.

            They whispered their sweet nothings for a minute or so, but soon they started a serious make-out session, exactly what I expected them to do. And just as things started getting a bit hot and heavy, I decided to cool it off for them.

            I grabbed a water balloon in each hand and let the grenades fly. And half a second later, Dutchy and Specs were shocked and soaked, and Specs caught sight of me. And I decided to be polite and wave at him.

            "Who the _hell_ let him on the roof?!"

            The clip ended there, but the laughter didn't end for a few minutes. Specs and Dutchy were both blushing a deep shade of red, their make-out session having been abruptly cut off by a vicious attack from above- and now everyone had seen it.

Spot

            The next clip was a familiar one to me, of course. It certainly hadn't been funny then, but now it seemed hilarious.

            We were sitting at the breakfast table- "we" being me, Blink, Mush, and Race. Skittery had finished breakfast earlier, obviously. My hair had been falling in my face continually for the past few days, and it had been really pissing me off. And of course, when I get pissed off, I get vocal about it.

            "I can cut it for you." Blink said, chewing on a piece of bacon.

            Mush looked uncertain. "Have you done it before?" 

            "I've watched them do it on set. It's not that hard."

            I couldn't believe I let him do it. I absolutely couldn't believe it. But here I was, watching myself sit down and let him start snipping away. And from watching the clip, I could see things that I couldn't see before. Like Blink, Race, and Mush trying hard not to laugh as he made ragged, uneven, and diagonal cuts.

            And I sat there, nervous but completely oblivious. I guess I should've asked myself why I was letting a guy with no depth perception whatsoever cut my hair, him having one eye and all.

            And for once, Skittery saved the day. He walked into the room, saw the scenario, and as he looked closer his mouth dropped open in shock.

            "Oh, shit, Blink! What the hell are you doing?"

            That was when I realized something was horribly wrong. I leaped up from my seat, fuming as I spun around to face Blink.

            "What did you do to it?" I hissed and Blink, Race, and Mush cracked up.

            "Aw, come on, Spot. It doesn't look _that_ bad." Race choked out, and I sprang from the room to look in a mirror. And the second I returned, Blink ran for his life. I followed him through the house, screaming bloody murder but not quite able to gain on him. 

            He flung open the door to the back yard and slammed it behind him, and as I turned the corner I ran face-first into the closed door. Then I tore it open and ran at him where he stood in the backyard. I guess the fact that he was standing still should've told me something.

            I leaped at him, and at the last second he sidestepped me, and I went flying headfirst into the pool. And then the clip ended.

            "Why did you trust him with your hair in the first place?" Snitch said amidst the laughter. I just shrugged and fumed as Davey tried to get everyone to get quiet enough for the next clip.

Skittery

            The next clip faded in, and I immediately recognized Ace's extremely bad singing voice coming from the shower, singing an extremely out-of-tune version of "The Song That Never Ends". From the camera position you couldn't see in the shower, just the area directly outside of it, and the camera soon switched to show me and Mush sitting in the main room. 

            I remembered this now. It had been the last week, when only Mush and I were left, and both of us quite bored. And Ace was driving us to the edge of our insanity.

            After only a few moments (by this time, Ace had been singing the song for about ten minutes) Mush and I gave each other that look. The look that for him said, 'leave the poor guy alone', but for me it said, 'I'm gonna wring his neck'.

            And since when did I ever listen to what Mush wants me to do?

            I calmly set down my magazine and stood up, straightening my shirt and walking to the bathroom. 

            All the other guys leaned forward and watched with curiosity as I walked through the bathroom, walked up to the toilet, and flushed it. Then I calmly walked out. About a second later, Ace was no longer singing, but he was cursing very loudly.

            I walked back out to the main room, and after a mutual glance of 'thank you' and 'you're welcome' between Mush and I, I sat down and without a word began to read my magazine again. And the clip ended.

Snitch

            The next clip started with Spot falling in his drag outfit. Another clip, another fall. Another clip, another fall. And the next eleven clips after that: each one of Spot's drag falls, and probably not even all of them. And then they showed the clip that I never wanted anyone to see.

            Spot was walking by me in drag, and I couldn't help but crack up. And Spot was a very sensitive guy that day. 

            "You got a problem, Snitchy-boy?" he snapped, spinning around and promptly falling on his face. This only made it worse for me- I couldn't help but laugh even harder. He stood back up, pulling his wig-hair out of his face and practically shooting daggers at me with his glare.

            "Just wait until I get ahold of you. You'll regret ever coming near me." He hissed.

            "And you'll do what, glitter boy?"

            As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wished I could call them back. I should've known Spot wouldn't walk around like this without a concealed weapon.

            He suddenly pulled out a water spray-bottle that we used to water the plants with, and sprayed me in the face. I looked at him, confused, and said, "Is that all you've got? Water?"

            "Go look at yourself in the mirror, _glitter boy_."

            I could see the realization hit me in my face. And as I ran to the bathroom, they didn't have to change cameras to get the full effect of me realizing that my face was covered in glitter.

            "Spot! _I'm gonna kill you_!"

Blink

            The next clip started with me just walking down the hallway in the house, but then I stopped abruptly. I could hear the sounds of heavy breathing and movement from inside the closed room I was passing, and I was probably wondering if Specs and Dutchy were _that_ comfortable with the cameras.

            Then, a voice from inside said harshly and breathlessly, "No, you stupid pouf! It's step, step, twirl, step! Not step, step, step, twirl!"

            Whoa. Never had those kinds of 'getting it on' instructions before. I had to check this out.

            I opened the door and it was not Specs and Dutchy, but instead, Bumlets and Race stood there, and Race was in the middle of a 'step spin' as I stood watching. And then, when he realized that someone was watching his dancing lesson and laughing hysterically, he made some excuse about having to shower and left the room- _very_ fast. Bumlets just shrugged and sat back down with his book, and life continued as normal in the Big Brother house- if not with a little extra blackmail material.

Dutchy

            The next clip started with another kidnapping. But this time, it wasn't me.

            I crept into Reno and Grace's room, where the girls were sleeping peacefully. I walked over to Reno's bed, ignoring how comical she looked sleeping with slices of cucumbers on her eyes, and I grabbed her coveted fuzzy bunny slippers and left the room quickly. 

            Skittery, Race, and Blink were waiting on me outside, and Race pulled out a thick red marker and drew a line of 'blood' on each rabbit's neck. We then handed them over to Skittery, who fashioned professional nooses and 'hung' the rabbits in the kitchen doorway. With that done, we returned to sleep.

            And the next morning, we woke up to a scream that was a mix of surprise and rage.

            "You hooligans owe me a new pair of slippers!" she shrieked, standing in the doorway to our bedroom, holding her maimed bunnies. Of course, we just laughed at her, which only made her madder. But we didn't really care.

Race

            The next clip had to be the most priceless of the bunch. It was also scripted, planned by all six of us original house guests, but priceless just the same. 

            It had to have happened right after Austin had entered the house. He was sitting in the family room, just basically sulking and trying to avoid everyone else in the house. And when Ace walked in the room, he looked less than pleased.

            "Hi Austin."

            "Hello, Ace."

            "Casual sex?"

            Austin's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?"

            Ace was simply casual about this. "I asked if you would mind some casual sex."

            "You're out of your mind! Even if you found someone that would…which you _wouldn't…_Big Brother would never allow it!"

            Ace just shrugged. "Suit yourself."

            A few seconds later, after Ace had made himself comfortable on the couch across from Austin, Skittery walked through.

            "Hey Skittery."

            "Hi Ace."

            "Casual sex?"

            "Sure."

            Austin looked up, his jaw practically on the ground as Skittery joined Ace on the couch and they started a heavy make-out session.

            "You two…you can't…"Austin started, but he was being ignored. On top of that, Ace had straddled Skittery on the couch and was now unbuttoning his shirt.

            "Excuse me. EXCUSE ME!" Austin snapped, and Ace sighed and looked over at him, his hands still on Skittery's bare chest and Skittery looking rather annoyed that he'd stopped.

            "What do you want? We're _busy_ here!"

            "You can't do that! Here!"

            Skittery smirked. "I don't see why not."

            As Skittery and Ace resumed their activities, Austin groaned and left the room. Very quickly. He ran into Blink and Mush in the kitchen, and frantically tried to explain.

            "Skittery and Ace…are about to…to…make love _right on the couch out there_!" 

            Blink looked at Mush and raised his eyebrows. "Orgy?"

            Mush smiled mischieviously. "Sure."

            With that, Blink and Mush stood up and headed for the main room, and Austin was left standing in the kitchen, frustrated and very confused. And finally, he just groaned, threw his hands up in the air, and walked into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

            Of course, nothing _really_ happened, and Skittery practically sprinted to the bathroom to use some mouthwash, but in the end it was all worth it. 

            Definitely.

AN: I had to try very hard to keep that last part PG-13, but I think I did it! I hope you guys like this chapter. For that matter, I hope you guys liked the whole thing. And if you haven't been reviewing, do it now, cause this is THE END, people!

WAHOO!!!!!!!! I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Insane happy dance with Skitts!Muse* IT'S OOOOOOVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Takes a bow and leaves Skitts!Muse very dizzy* I love all you guys…in a non-sexual manner, of course. 'Cept for my Skitts!Muse, whom I love in a VERY sexual manner. *winks at Skitts* If you have any comments or questions about the fic or any particular chapter or event, my e-mail is dontblink_@hotmail.com. For that thought, if you want to, add me to your msn messenger list and we can talk all the time.

Now, I am going to take a few days vacation…and then I'm starting on another MAJOR newsies fic project. Be on the lookout for it- from what I've heard from my idea betas, it should be pretty good. Or, at least, I hope it will.

Lookie! OVER 500 REVIEWS ON THIS SUCKER! Is that some kind of a record?

Thanks to all my readers, hope you enjoyed the outtakes! What a note to end on. A newsie orgy. Well, not really, but we scared Austin badly enough with the idea. REVIEW PEOPLE! I DESERVE IT………I think….


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